When the controversial Stimulus Bill was being rushed into passage, President Barack Obama assured the American public that Vice President Joe Biden would supervise the distribution of the funds. We were assured that Biden would work tirelessly to assure that the money was well spent, and that there would be no shenanigans.
Well we now see just what the rush to passage has given the American taxpayer for their money. WASTE to a massive extent is the result of Biden’s over-sight. First we learned that 10,000 checks for $250.00 went to individuals who have been dead, some for at least 50 years.
If that was not sufficient to cause a public uproar, we now find that 3,900 prison inmates received checks too, and technically 2,200 received the money legally. The law as written permitted as eligible individuals who were not incarcerated in any one of the three months prior to the recovery package being enacted. Thus, the other 1,700 checks were just a mistake.
No wonder the American public is up in arms and becoming more vocal each day as the level of concern rises on the pending Health Care legislation. With our national debt escalating daily, and the estimated cost of the Health Bill increasing, we must determine exactly what the pending legislation includes before there is another rush to passage.
I can hardly wait to hear our President’s continued praise of Joe Biden’s performance. When I was working I would have been fired if I had a record similar to Uncle Joe’s. This lack of concern for fiscal integrity is essentially the reason our national debt is so high, because our government is run by politicians, and not responsible, experienced business people.
Your Commander strongly suggests that someone conduct an objective non-partisan performance review on Vice President Joe Biden. We cannot afford to permit the continued raid on our pocketbooks. Obviously the word accountability has left the Washington vocabulary, and play book.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
PRIORITIES CONFRONTING AMERICA
Recently I have been spending a lot of time reading a variety of books covering a wide range of subjects, but my thoughts keep coming back to my growing concerns about the future of our wonderful United States of America.
Since writing a recent commentary suggesting that we all contact our elected officials, I have had numerous telephone conversations with close friends and relatives, and to say that I was shocked is a huge understatement. In several of these discussions I learned that many of these people did not know the name of their Congressional Representative, nor had they ever contacted any government officials to express their feelings.
In view of this situation, I wonder just how we can expect our elected officials to govern in our best interests. Have we become so complacent that we assume our representatives can be trusted to function without any direction from the electorate? If that is true then we are in for rough sledding as a democracy.
The word PRIORITIES keeps coming into my thoughts, and this prompts me to have growing concerns about our country’s future; just what is really important. I suggest that the health of our economy is really at the root of a successful future.
At the same time, I have an increasing concern that our involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen away from our daily consciousness. My God, we have men and women dying every single day and we do not seem to consider our presence or involvement as a top of the line priority. Our participation certainly directly impacts the health of our economy, but there is little written in our shrinking newspapers, because it is expensive to cover news thousands of miles away.
When I viewed President Obama’s Press Conference on July 22nd, our journalists failed to raise anything but softball questions, and it appeared that the entire session was scripted. I wonder why the president failed to answer when asked if our government officials would have the same health care coverage as their constituents. Don’t you wonder why our president denies that he really wants to cover illegal aliens with health care? Why are so many important matters resolved by political priorities and not the best interests of the voters?
Personally the health of our national economy scares the hell out of me, and I believe our current leadership has little regard for the debt burdens being placed upon the backs of the working citizens of our country. Just look at what has happened to the State government in California. It does not take a brain surgeon to determine that their financial problems are similar to many other state governments, not to mention our federal government. For far too long we spend money that we cannot honestly justify on projects and programs that are Recently I have been spending a lot of time reading a variety of books covering a wide range of subjects, but my thoughts keep coming back to my growing concerns about the future of our wonderful United States of America.
Since writing a recent commentary suggesting that we all contact our elected officials, I have had numerous telephone conversations with close friends and relatives, and to say that I was shocked is a huge understatement. In several of these discussions I learned that many of these people did not know the name of their Congressional Representative, nor had they ever contacted any government officials to express their feelings.
In view of this situation, I wonder just how we can expect our elected officials to govern in our best interests. Have we become so complacent that we assume our representatives can be trusted to function without any direction from the electorate? If that is true then we are in for rough sledding as a democracy.
In that commentary I addressed some interesting statistics that I will repeat. Just consider the following facts, which you may have seen on the internet before, but their importance bears repeating.
1. $11 Billion to $22 Billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state government. Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML.
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004.fiscalexec.HTML.
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.HTML.
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.o1.HTML.
6. $3 Million dollars a day is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcriptscnn.com/%10TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML.
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS.06044/01/ldt.01.HTML.
8. $90 Billion dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and social services by the American taxpayers. Verify at: http://premium.CNN.com.TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.HTML.
9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSC%20RI%20PTS.0604/01/lddt.01HTML.
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children are going to make huge additional problems in the US. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.HTML.
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 million illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U.S. from the Southern border. Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National policy Institute, estimated that the total of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually. $230 billion over a five year period. Verify at: http://www/nationalpolicyinstitute.org/PDF.deportation.PDF
13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 billion in remittances to their countries of origin. Verify at: http://www.rense.com.genera%20%.20175/nibt.htm>
14. The dark side of illegal immigration: Nearly one million sex crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the US. Verify at http://drdsk.com/articles.html
NOTE: Hopefully I have typed the links correctly and/or that they are still available. If not, try the Google method.
With all those statistics there is much to consider. If you add up all the expense it comes to a staggering $338.3 billion dollars a year. Just imagine what that amount of money would do in solving our current economic shortfall. Consider too the impact that kind of money would have on unemployment across our country.
Looking at our history, it is extremely interesting to note that three presidents acted aggressively concerning illegal immigration during their administrations. President Herbert Hoover during the great depression deported ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens. President Harry Truman deported over two million illegal aliens after World War ll to create jobs. Most recently, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals so Veterans of WW II and the Korean War would have a better opportunity for jobs.
Tragically, President Barack Obama is striving to pass immigration legislation to permit illegal aliens to stay in the United States because they represent a huge potential voting block that could support his policies. Should President Obama pass his proposed Health Care Bill, if it does in fact include illegal immigrants, it will surely bankrupt our economy. If the president had the leadership and political courage to deport the millions of illegal aliens now residing within our country he could immediately improve unemployment, reduce crime, reduce prison populations, dramatically reduce educational appropriations, and sharply reduce our economic long-term debt obligations.
To repeat, I support legal immigration, but vehemently oppose illegal, freeloading, undocumented aliens. Remember, we are all really products of immigration, but legal is one thing and illegal is clearly against our laws.
Presidents Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower all met their Oath of Office, but our current president has another agenda. Your Commander strongly suggests that we always beware of a President who says one thing and does another. Do not trust any individual who looks into his teleprompter and not directly into your eyes.
I do not profess to speak as profoundly as our Founding Fathers, but let me suggest that our Democracy cannot survive by robbing Peter to pay Paul. Regretfully, I do not for one minute believe that our President’s political priorities are in the best interest of the United States of American or its people.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Since writing a recent commentary suggesting that we all contact our elected officials, I have had numerous telephone conversations with close friends and relatives, and to say that I was shocked is a huge understatement. In several of these discussions I learned that many of these people did not know the name of their Congressional Representative, nor had they ever contacted any government officials to express their feelings.
In view of this situation, I wonder just how we can expect our elected officials to govern in our best interests. Have we become so complacent that we assume our representatives can be trusted to function without any direction from the electorate? If that is true then we are in for rough sledding as a democracy.
The word PRIORITIES keeps coming into my thoughts, and this prompts me to have growing concerns about our country’s future; just what is really important. I suggest that the health of our economy is really at the root of a successful future.
At the same time, I have an increasing concern that our involvement in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have fallen away from our daily consciousness. My God, we have men and women dying every single day and we do not seem to consider our presence or involvement as a top of the line priority. Our participation certainly directly impacts the health of our economy, but there is little written in our shrinking newspapers, because it is expensive to cover news thousands of miles away.
When I viewed President Obama’s Press Conference on July 22nd, our journalists failed to raise anything but softball questions, and it appeared that the entire session was scripted. I wonder why the president failed to answer when asked if our government officials would have the same health care coverage as their constituents. Don’t you wonder why our president denies that he really wants to cover illegal aliens with health care? Why are so many important matters resolved by political priorities and not the best interests of the voters?
Personally the health of our national economy scares the hell out of me, and I believe our current leadership has little regard for the debt burdens being placed upon the backs of the working citizens of our country. Just look at what has happened to the State government in California. It does not take a brain surgeon to determine that their financial problems are similar to many other state governments, not to mention our federal government. For far too long we spend money that we cannot honestly justify on projects and programs that are Recently I have been spending a lot of time reading a variety of books covering a wide range of subjects, but my thoughts keep coming back to my growing concerns about the future of our wonderful United States of America.
Since writing a recent commentary suggesting that we all contact our elected officials, I have had numerous telephone conversations with close friends and relatives, and to say that I was shocked is a huge understatement. In several of these discussions I learned that many of these people did not know the name of their Congressional Representative, nor had they ever contacted any government officials to express their feelings.
In view of this situation, I wonder just how we can expect our elected officials to govern in our best interests. Have we become so complacent that we assume our representatives can be trusted to function without any direction from the electorate? If that is true then we are in for rough sledding as a democracy.
In that commentary I addressed some interesting statistics that I will repeat. Just consider the following facts, which you may have seen on the internet before, but their importance bears repeating.
1. $11 Billion to $22 Billion is spent on welfare to illegal aliens each year by state government. Verify at: http://tinyurl.com/zob77
2. $2.2 Billion dollars a year is spent on food assistance programs such as food stamps, WIC, and free school lunches for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004/fiscalexec.HTML.
3. $2.5 Billion dollars a year is spent on Medicaid for illegal aliens. Verify at: http://www.cis.org/articles/2004.fiscalexec.HTML.
4. $12 Billion dollars a year is spent on primary and secondary school education for children here illegally and they cannot speak a word of English. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.0.HTML.
5. $17 Billion dollars a year is spent for education for the American-born children of illegal aliens, known as anchor babies. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.o1.HTML.
6. $3 Million dollars a day is spent to incarcerate illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcriptscnn.com/%10TRANSCRIPTS/0604/01/ldt.01.HTML.
7. 30% percent of all Federal Prison inmates are illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS.06044/01/ldt.01.HTML.
8. $90 Billion dollars a year is spent on illegal aliens for Welfare and social services by the American taxpayers. Verify at: http://premium.CNN.com.TRANSCRIPTS/0610/29/ldt.01.HTML.
9. $200 Billion dollars a year in suppressed American wages are caused by the illegal aliens. Verify at: http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSC%20RI%20PTS.0604/01/lddt.01HTML.
10. The illegal aliens in the United States have a crime rate that’s two and a half times that of white non-illegal aliens. In particular, their children are going to make huge additional problems in the US. Verify at: http://transcripts.CNN.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0606/12/ldt.01.HTML.
11. During the year of 2005 there were 4 to 10 million illegal aliens that crossed our Southern Border also, as many as 19,500 illegal aliens from Terrorist Countries. Millions of pounds of drugs, cocaine, meth, heroin and marijuana, crossed into the U.S. from the Southern border. Verify at: Homeland Security Report: http://tinyurl.com/t9sht
12. The National policy Institute, estimated that the total of mass deportation would be between $206 and $230 billion or an average cost of between $41 and $46 billion annually. $230 billion over a five year period. Verify at: http://www/nationalpolicyinstitute.org/PDF.deportation.PDF
13. In 2006, illegal aliens sent home $45 billion in remittances to their countries of origin. Verify at: http://www.rense.com.genera%20%.20175/nibt.htm>
14. The dark side of illegal immigration: Nearly one million sex crimes committed by illegal immigrants in the US. Verify at http://drdsk.com/articles.html
NOTE: Hopefully I have typed the links correctly and/or that they are still available. If not, try the Google method.
With all those statistics there is much to consider. If you add up all the expense it comes to a staggering $338.3 billion dollars a year. Just imagine what that amount of money would do in solving our current economic shortfall. Consider too the impact that kind of money would have on unemployment across our country.
Looking at our history, it is extremely interesting to note that three presidents acted aggressively concerning illegal immigration during their administrations. President Herbert Hoover during the great depression deported ALL illegal aliens in order to make jobs available to American citizens. President Harry Truman deported over two million illegal aliens after World War ll to create jobs. Most recently, President Dwight Eisenhower deported 13 million Mexican Nationals so Veterans of WW II and the Korean War would have a better opportunity for jobs.
Tragically, President Barack Obama is striving to pass immigration legislation to permit illegal aliens to stay in the United States because they represent a huge potential voting block that could support his policies. Should President Obama pass his proposed Health Care Bill, if it does in fact include illegal immigrants, it will surely bankrupt our economy. If the president had the leadership and political courage to deport the millions of illegal aliens now residing within our country he could immediately improve unemployment, reduce crime, reduce prison populations, dramatically reduce educational appropriations, and sharply reduce our economic long-term debt obligations.
To repeat, I support legal immigration, but vehemently oppose illegal, freeloading, undocumented aliens. Remember, we are all really products of immigration, but legal is one thing and illegal is clearly against our laws.
Presidents Hoover, Truman and Eisenhower all met their Oath of Office, but our current president has another agenda. Your Commander strongly suggests that we always beware of a President who says one thing and does another. Do not trust any individual who looks into his teleprompter and not directly into your eyes.
I do not profess to speak as profoundly as our Founding Fathers, but let me suggest that our Democracy cannot survive by robbing Peter to pay Paul. Regretfully, I do not for one minute believe that our President’s political priorities are in the best interest of the United States of American or its people.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
AFGHANISTAN (FOR THE THIRD TIME)
Sorry, but I must again address the situation that is spiraling downward in historically troubled Afghanistan. Normally, I open the New York Times website each morning just to get my heart rate elevated, but today I was pleasantly surprised to read a totally rational opinion being expressed by Bob Herbert in his Op-ED titled, “The Ultimate Burden.” We are fortunate to get some good reporting for a change, because that liberal blow-hard David Brooks had the day off.
Sometimes it scares me to see expressions printed in national publications that echo those stated in my earlier commentaries, but that sounds a little egotistical. Anyway, I urge you to hit the hyperlink below for a solid report on the true situation confronting our troops and the American public.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/opinion/25herbert.html?_r=1&hpw
Quoting from the closing portion of Herbert’s objective article I want all of us to really start thinking about our involvement in this particular cesspool of the world. “Well, if this war, now approaching its ninth year, is so fundamental, we should all be pitching in. We shouldn’t be leaving the entire monumental burden to a tiny portion of the population, sending them into combat again, and again, and again, and again.”
To repeat my earlier position, Afghanistan is our Korea and Viet Nam all over again. We really only have two choices in this situation, and that is to WIN or get the hell out of there. Tragically, I no longer believe our leadership has the will to WIN, and in the meantime our finest are subjected to become cannon fodder.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Sometimes it scares me to see expressions printed in national publications that echo those stated in my earlier commentaries, but that sounds a little egotistical. Anyway, I urge you to hit the hyperlink below for a solid report on the true situation confronting our troops and the American public.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/25/opinion/25herbert.html?_r=1&hpw
Quoting from the closing portion of Herbert’s objective article I want all of us to really start thinking about our involvement in this particular cesspool of the world. “Well, if this war, now approaching its ninth year, is so fundamental, we should all be pitching in. We shouldn’t be leaving the entire monumental burden to a tiny portion of the population, sending them into combat again, and again, and again, and again.”
To repeat my earlier position, Afghanistan is our Korea and Viet Nam all over again. We really only have two choices in this situation, and that is to WIN or get the hell out of there. Tragically, I no longer believe our leadership has the will to WIN, and in the meantime our finest are subjected to become cannon fodder.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Monday, August 24, 2009
WRITE TO THE VIDEO
As a former television station General Manager I watch television with a very critical eye for accuracy and good production values. Most television viewers are simply watching the tube for entertainment and information, and there is a huge loyal audience for sports programming, too.
Just the other day one of my local television stations was patting themselves on the back for their participation in a local charity promotion. Television and radio stations are required to perform public service by the Federal Communications Commission in order to justify their license to operate over the nation’s air waves. The news anchor said, “Our parking lot has been filled with a constant flow of cars bringing tons of backpacks, pencils, notebooks and rulers; filling our trucks to overfilling levels.”
That statement was a mouthful, but tragically is was totally inaccurate and misleading. And they wonder just why their audience levels are dropping like a stone. As the anchor spoke those words the video rolled and showed one automobile with one person giving a small bag of donated school supplies. The video showed about five or six volunteers standing in a virtually empty parking lot with one truck that was obviously empty.
Now I was not surprised to see the slow participation during these very difficult economic times, but the story presentation was so factually inaccurate, and promotionally self-serving that you must wonder just what else in their newscast is fluff, and inaccurate.
Behind every number one rated television station is a great News Director. I once had such a talented and experienced News Director who used to drum into the anchors and reporters to be accurate, and to write succinctly. This News Director was a great teacher to his newsroom veterans, rookies and even his General Manager (me). He stressed that the editors should make every effort to have the video and writing compliment each other. He worked daily with the production staff, and the video shooters to make certain the video told the story of the event happening so as to assure total authenticity. Writing for television is totally different from that required of a good newspaper scribe.
Unfortunately due to the economy, staff cutbacks are taking place daily across the television and newspaper industry. Viewers now witness more and more amateurish products produced for our consumption. We are viewing far too many youthful, inexperienced anchors/reporters mispronouncing the names of cities, because they do not do their homework before going on the air. Recently I remember hearing a local reporter say that there was a bombing in bah-GO-ta, when she should have said BO-GO-tah (Bogota, Colombia). How can this sloppy work example expect to receive credability?
Last and certainly not least, in my local community there are four network affiliated television stations, and three of them claim that they are either the No. #1 news station in the market or they are the most watched station. Do they really think we are that dumb, or is it the old story that if you tell a lie enough times the public will believe it?
Unfortunately the industry has dropped its once high standards for accuracy and creditability in an effort to sustain profitability. Don’t get me started on the quality of today’s programming, be it local news or network prime time fare, because that is a subject for another entire essay.
Network programming costs have become so exorbitant that quality has suffered along with the deterioration of the audiences’ tastes. Sadly, with few exceptions viewers no longer watch quality programs. The multiple reasons for the decline of our media are appropriate for an in-depth study in a Masters or Doctorial thesis. Simply stated, I feel greed has overtaken ethical, prideful behavior in our media as it has in many other segments of our society. Just look at our political leadership today.
Your Commander no longer believes that the broadcasting or the newspaper industry will ever return to their once great days of appeal and profitability, but the world moves on and something else will ultimately take their place in our frantic daily journey through life. Will it be the internet or is something else on the horizon? Only time will tell.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Just the other day one of my local television stations was patting themselves on the back for their participation in a local charity promotion. Television and radio stations are required to perform public service by the Federal Communications Commission in order to justify their license to operate over the nation’s air waves. The news anchor said, “Our parking lot has been filled with a constant flow of cars bringing tons of backpacks, pencils, notebooks and rulers; filling our trucks to overfilling levels.”
That statement was a mouthful, but tragically is was totally inaccurate and misleading. And they wonder just why their audience levels are dropping like a stone. As the anchor spoke those words the video rolled and showed one automobile with one person giving a small bag of donated school supplies. The video showed about five or six volunteers standing in a virtually empty parking lot with one truck that was obviously empty.
Now I was not surprised to see the slow participation during these very difficult economic times, but the story presentation was so factually inaccurate, and promotionally self-serving that you must wonder just what else in their newscast is fluff, and inaccurate.
Behind every number one rated television station is a great News Director. I once had such a talented and experienced News Director who used to drum into the anchors and reporters to be accurate, and to write succinctly. This News Director was a great teacher to his newsroom veterans, rookies and even his General Manager (me). He stressed that the editors should make every effort to have the video and writing compliment each other. He worked daily with the production staff, and the video shooters to make certain the video told the story of the event happening so as to assure total authenticity. Writing for television is totally different from that required of a good newspaper scribe.
Unfortunately due to the economy, staff cutbacks are taking place daily across the television and newspaper industry. Viewers now witness more and more amateurish products produced for our consumption. We are viewing far too many youthful, inexperienced anchors/reporters mispronouncing the names of cities, because they do not do their homework before going on the air. Recently I remember hearing a local reporter say that there was a bombing in bah-GO-ta, when she should have said BO-GO-tah (Bogota, Colombia). How can this sloppy work example expect to receive credability?
Last and certainly not least, in my local community there are four network affiliated television stations, and three of them claim that they are either the No. #1 news station in the market or they are the most watched station. Do they really think we are that dumb, or is it the old story that if you tell a lie enough times the public will believe it?
Unfortunately the industry has dropped its once high standards for accuracy and creditability in an effort to sustain profitability. Don’t get me started on the quality of today’s programming, be it local news or network prime time fare, because that is a subject for another entire essay.
Network programming costs have become so exorbitant that quality has suffered along with the deterioration of the audiences’ tastes. Sadly, with few exceptions viewers no longer watch quality programs. The multiple reasons for the decline of our media are appropriate for an in-depth study in a Masters or Doctorial thesis. Simply stated, I feel greed has overtaken ethical, prideful behavior in our media as it has in many other segments of our society. Just look at our political leadership today.
Your Commander no longer believes that the broadcasting or the newspaper industry will ever return to their once great days of appeal and profitability, but the world moves on and something else will ultimately take their place in our frantic daily journey through life. Will it be the internet or is something else on the horizon? Only time will tell.
COMMANDER GRANGER
WHAT IS ERIC HOLDER DOING?
You need not be a Republican or a Democrat to wonder just where Attorney General Eric Holder stands on the performance of his sworn duties to uphold the laws of the United States of America. Just today the New York Times carried a top of the page headline titled, “Justice Department Division Wants CIA Abuse Cases Reopened.”
I am not operating with any significant degree of in-depth knowledge or research, but it seems to me that our Justice Department under Eric Holder’s direction keeps reopening old cases that hark back to the last Republican Administration. The Obama administration is full of individuals who never served in the military and appear hell bent on casting our country in a negative light to the rest of the world. It just may be a case of perception suggesting reality, but I do think that is the case.
It is your Commander’s opinion that we are witnessing one of the most politically corrupt Attorneys General in recent time. Before you start yelling about breaches of proper behavior by Bush’s first Attorney General, John Ashcroft, let us just consider a few facts.
Where are the prosecutions of the obviously corrupt financial gurus from the Wall Street meltdown? Where are the indictments of political operatives in Congress who have blatantly dodged their tax obligations? Why have members of President Obama’s Cabinet been permitted to just pay a small penalty on their unpaid tax bills? What is the status of investigations into alleged improprieties at Countrywide, AIG, and General Electric, among others? It surely appears to me that our current Attorney General is operating a politically partisan Justice Department. If you are a Democrat you get a pass, but if you are from the other side of the power structure you’re in for big trouble, or at least a huge legal bill.
No one seems to be looking into the reported facts that all too many Washington insiders suddenly come into vast sums of money as they serve the public, such as Rahm Emanuel’s sudden financial success during the Clinton Administration when he served only a few months on the Fannie Mae Board. Now we have tax cheats like ex-Senator Tom Daschel (D-ND) serving as a consultant to our president on Health Care, totally disregarding the fact that Daschel was forced to withdraw as Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee. He could not get through the confirmation process because of his tax cheating, but he is a trusted consultant to the president?
The smell of big-time Chicago style influence peddling is much in fashion in Washington. This is not to say that previous administrations have been squeaky clean, but this one has its own particular foul aroma. If this the CHANGE and TRANSPARENCY we were promised? Scum is scum, and nothing has changed along the shores of the Potomac River, just the names of the players.
Apparently Eric Holder is too busy trying to find a way out of the growing political unrest that has developed from the hasty decision to close Guantanamo. Now we are spending valuable time and mega-sums of money to find a new place to incarcerate these terrorists when they are already secure outside our precious land. This obviously is another example of the Obama Gang spending money we do not have in our depleted treasury. I will not be surprised to see our Attorney General turn his troops against those “un-American” Tea Party protesters soon, but will continue to ignore members of ACORN, the Service Employee’s International Union (SEIS), and illegal aliens who violate our laws daily.
Isn’t CHANGE grand? It just proves that money can buy just about anything, including influence, protection, and even more money. Nothing changes in politics, it just takes on a different stench.
COMMANDER GRANGER
I am not operating with any significant degree of in-depth knowledge or research, but it seems to me that our Justice Department under Eric Holder’s direction keeps reopening old cases that hark back to the last Republican Administration. The Obama administration is full of individuals who never served in the military and appear hell bent on casting our country in a negative light to the rest of the world. It just may be a case of perception suggesting reality, but I do think that is the case.
It is your Commander’s opinion that we are witnessing one of the most politically corrupt Attorneys General in recent time. Before you start yelling about breaches of proper behavior by Bush’s first Attorney General, John Ashcroft, let us just consider a few facts.
Where are the prosecutions of the obviously corrupt financial gurus from the Wall Street meltdown? Where are the indictments of political operatives in Congress who have blatantly dodged their tax obligations? Why have members of President Obama’s Cabinet been permitted to just pay a small penalty on their unpaid tax bills? What is the status of investigations into alleged improprieties at Countrywide, AIG, and General Electric, among others? It surely appears to me that our current Attorney General is operating a politically partisan Justice Department. If you are a Democrat you get a pass, but if you are from the other side of the power structure you’re in for big trouble, or at least a huge legal bill.
No one seems to be looking into the reported facts that all too many Washington insiders suddenly come into vast sums of money as they serve the public, such as Rahm Emanuel’s sudden financial success during the Clinton Administration when he served only a few months on the Fannie Mae Board. Now we have tax cheats like ex-Senator Tom Daschel (D-ND) serving as a consultant to our president on Health Care, totally disregarding the fact that Daschel was forced to withdraw as Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services Nominee. He could not get through the confirmation process because of his tax cheating, but he is a trusted consultant to the president?
The smell of big-time Chicago style influence peddling is much in fashion in Washington. This is not to say that previous administrations have been squeaky clean, but this one has its own particular foul aroma. If this the CHANGE and TRANSPARENCY we were promised? Scum is scum, and nothing has changed along the shores of the Potomac River, just the names of the players.
Apparently Eric Holder is too busy trying to find a way out of the growing political unrest that has developed from the hasty decision to close Guantanamo. Now we are spending valuable time and mega-sums of money to find a new place to incarcerate these terrorists when they are already secure outside our precious land. This obviously is another example of the Obama Gang spending money we do not have in our depleted treasury. I will not be surprised to see our Attorney General turn his troops against those “un-American” Tea Party protesters soon, but will continue to ignore members of ACORN, the Service Employee’s International Union (SEIS), and illegal aliens who violate our laws daily.
Isn’t CHANGE grand? It just proves that money can buy just about anything, including influence, protection, and even more money. Nothing changes in politics, it just takes on a different stench.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Sunday, August 23, 2009
SAVE MONEY AND GO TO THE LIBRARY
Watching a television interview I was attracted to reading Ronald Kessler’s new book, “IN THE PRESIDENT’S SECRET SERVICE,” so I headed to my local Barnes and Noble store for a copy. If you read the cover’s comments you will get a good summary of the book’s contents.
There are a few interesting tid-bits of behind the scenes information about recent Presidents, such as Obama, Bush one and two, Carter, Johnson and Kennedy. We have known for years that many of our Presidents could not keep their pants closed, and we have long heard rumors about poor behavior, and there are some very interesting stories about our spoiled leadership. It was pleasant to see someone have the courage to make complimentary remarks about the Bush family’s kindness and support of their protectors.
The big story, to me, is the shocking message that the Secret Service is seriously under-funded. Most surprising is the fact that the Secret Service is cutting corners on the protection of our Presidents and senior leadership. The author predicts these actions could ultimately result in a serious breach of the Secret Service’s mission that might cause the death of one of their protected leaders.
The appearance of this book on the best selling list proves our sad desire to inhale gossip about first families. Save your $26 dollars and go to your local library. This is a small book, so it won’t take you long to learn the secrets behind and within our over-worked, under-funded Secret Service.
COMMANDER GRANGER
There are a few interesting tid-bits of behind the scenes information about recent Presidents, such as Obama, Bush one and two, Carter, Johnson and Kennedy. We have known for years that many of our Presidents could not keep their pants closed, and we have long heard rumors about poor behavior, and there are some very interesting stories about our spoiled leadership. It was pleasant to see someone have the courage to make complimentary remarks about the Bush family’s kindness and support of their protectors.
The big story, to me, is the shocking message that the Secret Service is seriously under-funded. Most surprising is the fact that the Secret Service is cutting corners on the protection of our Presidents and senior leadership. The author predicts these actions could ultimately result in a serious breach of the Secret Service’s mission that might cause the death of one of their protected leaders.
The appearance of this book on the best selling list proves our sad desire to inhale gossip about first families. Save your $26 dollars and go to your local library. This is a small book, so it won’t take you long to learn the secrets behind and within our over-worked, under-funded Secret Service.
COMMANDER GRANGER
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM
As a young boy growing up in Chicago I loved going to the Brookfield Zoo or the Lincoln Park Zoo and view the elephants. They were impressive mighty beasts, but back in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s it was very sad to see them confined to relative small enclosures. Thankfully, today zoos recognize the importance of creating a more natural habitat and with that, much larger spaces. It was even sadder to see these magnificent specimens herded around at the Ringling Brothers Circus in the Chicago Stadium with the handlers poking them with sticks with a spike on the end.
As we journey along during these troubling times of economic turmoil, wars across the world, massive financial debt, energy shortages, world hunger, climate control, health care reform, and any number of special interest subjects, my old friends the elephants come back to mind.
I suggest that there is an elephant in each of our homes, and it is our federal government. Certainly our Founding Fathers had the vision to institute assurances against a federal government that had too much influence, and their works carefully crafted assurances to protect States rights. All those efforts are now being infringed upon, and there is a growing danger of an all powerful, all influential federal government; AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM situation.
Your Commander has stated previously that the rush to judgment by the new Obama administration is trying to over-ride our precious Constitution, and institute its dominance and philosophies on a growing welfare/entitlement comfort state of being.
Recently, Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman, spoke at a public television forum, and said, “When the elephant falls down, all the grass gets crushed as well.” That metaphor is certainly true today, and it is a perfect example of just what our federal government is trying to accomplish. The Obama-led team, with the theory that no crisis can be ignored but should be used to its advantage, is just plain NOT in our individual best interests. It particularly chooses to benefit special interest, major campaign contributing groups such as ACORN (which likely operates illegally), or unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), trial lawyers, political elite, and the list goes on.
The average hard working stiff is just like the grass and are the ones getting squashed by the elephant when it falls upon us. The federal government is the elephant when they impose self-serving will upon the electorate. Don’t you find it very interesting that our politicians are screaming during this health care reform debate that the voters are sounding un-American and that we are unruly when we call them to be held accountable?
I, for one, am happy to see that the average Joe is finally finding the fortitude to jump up on the elephant and guide him in the proper direction. It is about time that our voices are being heard, and maybe they will be properly acted upon as our Founding Fathers originally intended.
I still love watching elephants at the zoo or today most often on television. I am now beginning to see hints that the voters, rather than government, have a shot at becoming the elephant. That would bring to mind a scene near the end of an old Elizabeth Taylor movie titled “ELEPHANT WALK,” when the elephants ran wild through the master’s house.
Our elephants are attending the TEA PARTY meetings and the TOWN HALLS, sending e-mails, making their opinion known and their voices heard. Hopefully, our voices will be heard in a very loud, only in America non-violent way at the polls come November, 2010 and ultimately 2012. The arrogant Obama administration has unwittingly organized our herd, the herd is ready to charge, and the Dems are scurrying for cover.
COMMANDER GRANGER
As we journey along during these troubling times of economic turmoil, wars across the world, massive financial debt, energy shortages, world hunger, climate control, health care reform, and any number of special interest subjects, my old friends the elephants come back to mind.
I suggest that there is an elephant in each of our homes, and it is our federal government. Certainly our Founding Fathers had the vision to institute assurances against a federal government that had too much influence, and their works carefully crafted assurances to protect States rights. All those efforts are now being infringed upon, and there is a growing danger of an all powerful, all influential federal government; AN ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM situation.
Your Commander has stated previously that the rush to judgment by the new Obama administration is trying to over-ride our precious Constitution, and institute its dominance and philosophies on a growing welfare/entitlement comfort state of being.
Recently, Ben Bernanke, Federal Reserve Chairman, spoke at a public television forum, and said, “When the elephant falls down, all the grass gets crushed as well.” That metaphor is certainly true today, and it is a perfect example of just what our federal government is trying to accomplish. The Obama-led team, with the theory that no crisis can be ignored but should be used to its advantage, is just plain NOT in our individual best interests. It particularly chooses to benefit special interest, major campaign contributing groups such as ACORN (which likely operates illegally), or unions such as the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), trial lawyers, political elite, and the list goes on.
The average hard working stiff is just like the grass and are the ones getting squashed by the elephant when it falls upon us. The federal government is the elephant when they impose self-serving will upon the electorate. Don’t you find it very interesting that our politicians are screaming during this health care reform debate that the voters are sounding un-American and that we are unruly when we call them to be held accountable?
I, for one, am happy to see that the average Joe is finally finding the fortitude to jump up on the elephant and guide him in the proper direction. It is about time that our voices are being heard, and maybe they will be properly acted upon as our Founding Fathers originally intended.
I still love watching elephants at the zoo or today most often on television. I am now beginning to see hints that the voters, rather than government, have a shot at becoming the elephant. That would bring to mind a scene near the end of an old Elizabeth Taylor movie titled “ELEPHANT WALK,” when the elephants ran wild through the master’s house.
Our elephants are attending the TEA PARTY meetings and the TOWN HALLS, sending e-mails, making their opinion known and their voices heard. Hopefully, our voices will be heard in a very loud, only in America non-violent way at the polls come November, 2010 and ultimately 2012. The arrogant Obama administration has unwittingly organized our herd, the herd is ready to charge, and the Dems are scurrying for cover.
COMMANDER GRANGER
THE STATE OF FRANKLIN
Everyday I learn something new, and today is certainly no exception. My wife gives me a desk calendar for Christmas each year and the one for 2009 is from The History Channel and notes events that occurred in the past on each given day. Upon reading my calendar this morning, I learned that on this date in 1784 a section of North Carolina became the independent State of Franklin.
Recognizing that I am getting a little long in the tooth, I do not remember reading anything about this historical fact. Four counties formed this short-lived sovereignty, which later became a part of what is today eastern Tennessee.
I went to my computer for more information, and found two very informative articles that I suggest you read should you have any interest in learning more about this little known historical development.
http://www.next1000.com/family/GRUBB/sullivan.tenn.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Franklin
We have very good friends in Granger who have just built a home in eastern Tennessee and perhaps do not know that they could have been living in the State of Franklin!
Having traveled through eastern Tennessee on numerous journeys I found this information to be quite fascinating and hope you did, too.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Recognizing that I am getting a little long in the tooth, I do not remember reading anything about this historical fact. Four counties formed this short-lived sovereignty, which later became a part of what is today eastern Tennessee.
I went to my computer for more information, and found two very informative articles that I suggest you read should you have any interest in learning more about this little known historical development.
http://www.next1000.com/family/GRUBB/sullivan.tenn.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_of_Franklin
We have very good friends in Granger who have just built a home in eastern Tennessee and perhaps do not know that they could have been living in the State of Franklin!
Having traveled through eastern Tennessee on numerous journeys I found this information to be quite fascinating and hope you did, too.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, August 20, 2009
IT'S JUST THAT SIMPLE
A local car dealer in my community has used that statement as part of his commercials for many years. As we journey down the road of reconciliation relative to the Health Care Bill and learn each day of the problems occurring with the Cash for Clunkers program this car dealer’s commercial expression came back to my mind.
Yesterday, long before the New York Times article appeared today, I learned from an impeccable source that the New York Automobile Dealers Association was immediately calling for their members to stop all activities with the Cash for Clunkers program. Their reason was quite simple: because the federal government was not approving a huge percentage of the applications and virtually no money has been paid to the dealers.
Additionally, yesterday I learned that the Dallas/Ft.Worth Automobile Dealers Association is calling for their members to stop all further participation in the Cash for Clunkers program for the same reasons.
While the government program has resulted in a significant improvement in automobile sales, the back end of the deal has been a disaster for the dealers. Additionally, many dealers have virtually no inventory and the automobile manufacturers have not increased production. Little or no consideration was given to actually fulfilling the details of the program by our federal leadership, thus a disastrous result.
So, I suggest that when we consider the pending Health Care legislation we remember my local car dealer’s tag line, “IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE.” When will we learn that NOTHING is just that simple? Not buying a car, not the Cash for Clunkers program, or the Health Care Bill.
How can we possibly expect the Health Care Bill’s execution to be any better than the Cash for Clunker program? Here we go again with another rushed plan with little or no consideration to the ultimate consequences. We, the participants, will pay for Congress’ repeated failure to address the after effects of their decisions. We will pay for it in more ways than just monetarily. I smell big trouble based upon our federal government’s long established record of recurring failures.
Months ago I suggested that we need to slow down and not rush into actions that will cause long lasting harm to the citizens of our country.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Yesterday, long before the New York Times article appeared today, I learned from an impeccable source that the New York Automobile Dealers Association was immediately calling for their members to stop all activities with the Cash for Clunkers program. Their reason was quite simple: because the federal government was not approving a huge percentage of the applications and virtually no money has been paid to the dealers.
Additionally, yesterday I learned that the Dallas/Ft.Worth Automobile Dealers Association is calling for their members to stop all further participation in the Cash for Clunkers program for the same reasons.
While the government program has resulted in a significant improvement in automobile sales, the back end of the deal has been a disaster for the dealers. Additionally, many dealers have virtually no inventory and the automobile manufacturers have not increased production. Little or no consideration was given to actually fulfilling the details of the program by our federal leadership, thus a disastrous result.
So, I suggest that when we consider the pending Health Care legislation we remember my local car dealer’s tag line, “IT’S JUST THAT SIMPLE.” When will we learn that NOTHING is just that simple? Not buying a car, not the Cash for Clunkers program, or the Health Care Bill.
How can we possibly expect the Health Care Bill’s execution to be any better than the Cash for Clunker program? Here we go again with another rushed plan with little or no consideration to the ultimate consequences. We, the participants, will pay for Congress’ repeated failure to address the after effects of their decisions. We will pay for it in more ways than just monetarily. I smell big trouble based upon our federal government’s long established record of recurring failures.
Months ago I suggested that we need to slow down and not rush into actions that will cause long lasting harm to the citizens of our country.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
AS GOVERNMENT GROWS, CORRUPTION FLOWS
Those alarming words are a direct quote from Michelle Malkin’s new book and are truer today than at anytime since the founding of our magnificent democracy back in 1776. In the months since the inauguration of Barack Obama as our 44TH President, three important books have jumped to best selling status in the first weeks of their release. Your Commander suggests that their success and revelations are directly responsible for a growing skepticism of our new administration and the Congress collectively.
First, Mark Levin’s still top selling LIBERTY AND TYRANNY was regarded as a scholarly eye-opener. Then, Glen Beck’s COMMON SENSE was released, which continued the conservative drum-beat with solid research. Now, another block-buster jumped to #1 status with Michelle Malkin’s CULTURE OF CORRUPTION. I have just finished Michelle’s book, and I did that in two sittings, because once you start you just cannot put the revealing book down. In all three books the research makes the author’s works something unique, and deserving of #1 ranking.
While I do not want to spoil your read, I draw your special attention to the chapters on the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and ACORN, which document criminal corruption that if permitted to go unaddressed will destroy our American way of life. I predict that Michelle Malkin’s book will go down as one of the finest examples of effective modern-day investigative reporting.
All three books continue to be jumping off the shelves of book stores across the nation. Collectively they, along with a few well regarded talk-radio personalities, have awakened the electorate, and we are seeing the true reaction in prominent national polls. Already the White House is scrambling for cover, and adjusting their positions in an effort to recapture voter acceptability. No matter what the liberal spin-doctors say the bloom is off the rose, and the Obama mystique is forever influenced. Congress is running for cover, and the November 2010 election will hear previously sleeping voices. Liberals, conservatives, libertarians, Democrats, Republicans, and Constitutionalists all should read these three books.
Two very appropriate quotes lead Michelle’s book:
“Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
George Washington
“The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference.”
Bess Myerson
There is a wonderful very old Persian Empire expression that comes to my mind that I believe is most appropriate during these times of turmoil, “When it is darkest, one can see the stars.” Personally I am encouraged that our voices are being heard and will redirect our great nation course back to realism, responsibility, and respectability.
COMMANDER GRANGER
First, Mark Levin’s still top selling LIBERTY AND TYRANNY was regarded as a scholarly eye-opener. Then, Glen Beck’s COMMON SENSE was released, which continued the conservative drum-beat with solid research. Now, another block-buster jumped to #1 status with Michelle Malkin’s CULTURE OF CORRUPTION. I have just finished Michelle’s book, and I did that in two sittings, because once you start you just cannot put the revealing book down. In all three books the research makes the author’s works something unique, and deserving of #1 ranking.
While I do not want to spoil your read, I draw your special attention to the chapters on the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), and ACORN, which document criminal corruption that if permitted to go unaddressed will destroy our American way of life. I predict that Michelle Malkin’s book will go down as one of the finest examples of effective modern-day investigative reporting.
All three books continue to be jumping off the shelves of book stores across the nation. Collectively they, along with a few well regarded talk-radio personalities, have awakened the electorate, and we are seeing the true reaction in prominent national polls. Already the White House is scrambling for cover, and adjusting their positions in an effort to recapture voter acceptability. No matter what the liberal spin-doctors say the bloom is off the rose, and the Obama mystique is forever influenced. Congress is running for cover, and the November 2010 election will hear previously sleeping voices. Liberals, conservatives, libertarians, Democrats, Republicans, and Constitutionalists all should read these three books.
Two very appropriate quotes lead Michelle’s book:
“Associate with men of good quality if you esteem your own reputation; for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
George Washington
“The accomplice to the crime of corruption is frequently our own indifference.”
Bess Myerson
There is a wonderful very old Persian Empire expression that comes to my mind that I believe is most appropriate during these times of turmoil, “When it is darkest, one can see the stars.” Personally I am encouraged that our voices are being heard and will redirect our great nation course back to realism, responsibility, and respectability.
COMMANDER GRANGER
SILENT MAJORITY WAKES UP
It has taken eight months of the President Barack Obama Administration to awaken the silent majority. There was a very interesting poll taken by AT&T/ Yahoo, and it asked a simple direct question.
Q. The president’s progress with the battered economy has been both praised and criticized. How well are his efforts measuring up with you?
Extremely well. We are undoubtedly moving in the right direction - 9%
Fairly well. There’s still a long way to go - 9%
Not well at all. His plans are hurting more than helping - 80%
Not sure/No opinion - 2%
Total votes (As of 8/17/09) 259,826 votes
Apparently the mandate has hit a wall, and the natives are restless. One should wonder just how Rahm Emanuel will address this crisis.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Q. The president’s progress with the battered economy has been both praised and criticized. How well are his efforts measuring up with you?
Extremely well. We are undoubtedly moving in the right direction - 9%
Fairly well. There’s still a long way to go - 9%
Not well at all. His plans are hurting more than helping - 80%
Not sure/No opinion - 2%
Total votes (As of 8/17/09) 259,826 votes
Apparently the mandate has hit a wall, and the natives are restless. One should wonder just how Rahm Emanuel will address this crisis.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Monday, August 17, 2009
ENDLESS AFGHANISTAN?
Just a few days ago I addressed my growing concerns relative to American involvement in Afghanistan (August 12). The SundayAugust 16th morning political program, “Face the Nation,” covered the topic with two experienced ex-political figures, and they did little to reduce my frustration regarding our involvement. America’s presence in Afghanistan is not only extremely expensive to our treasury, but it is increasingly deadly to our precious American military personnel.
Ex-Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Ex-Congressman Lee Hamilton (D-IN) clearly outlined the dilemma facing our country. These are two of the most experienced veterans of America’s foreign policy, and their opinions expressed yesterday scared the hell out of me. Those questionable words “Nation Building” kept falling back into the discussion, and it was noted that we have been directly involved in this never-ending Afghan conflict for nine years already, with no end in sight. Remember, too, that involvement in Afghanistan was hugely responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union after their years of fruitless conflict.
I urge you and all Americans to become better informed relative to the complexities of our intervention and voice your opinions or suggestions to your Washington representatives in both Houses of Congress. The world-wide impact that the poppy fields of Afghanistan have are only one issue directly influencing our daily lives, and the regional political ramifications are too numerous to list.
Again we are reminded that American involvement will last for many years, and Hagel and Hamilton even addressed the formulation of an exit strategy. Mired in the Health Care debate, the growing financial burden of Afghanistan is nearly silent, out of ear-shot for the moment, but it better be placed on the front-burner of Washington’s discussion plate VERY soon. In the meantime, American men and women will continue to be severely injured and sadly make the ultimate sacrifice, while we continue to fail in providing a clear battle plan.
Clearly, we must do our best to keep the aptly named War on Terrorism in the lands where the religious fanatics promote hatred to us and other developed nations, but we must also have as clear and concise a plan as possible to squash them. We have been in Afghanistan for nine years and on the 39th parallel in Korea for 58 years. Can we learn from this comparison?
As Washington political operatives persist in running for cover, we keep pouring good money after bad and welcome home a growing number of flag covered caskets to grieving families across the fruited plains. This predicament reminds me of an excellent World War ll movie titled “A Bridge Too Far.”
COMMANDER GRANGER
Ex-Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE) and Ex-Congressman Lee Hamilton (D-IN) clearly outlined the dilemma facing our country. These are two of the most experienced veterans of America’s foreign policy, and their opinions expressed yesterday scared the hell out of me. Those questionable words “Nation Building” kept falling back into the discussion, and it was noted that we have been directly involved in this never-ending Afghan conflict for nine years already, with no end in sight. Remember, too, that involvement in Afghanistan was hugely responsible for the collapse of the Soviet Union after their years of fruitless conflict.
I urge you and all Americans to become better informed relative to the complexities of our intervention and voice your opinions or suggestions to your Washington representatives in both Houses of Congress. The world-wide impact that the poppy fields of Afghanistan have are only one issue directly influencing our daily lives, and the regional political ramifications are too numerous to list.
Again we are reminded that American involvement will last for many years, and Hagel and Hamilton even addressed the formulation of an exit strategy. Mired in the Health Care debate, the growing financial burden of Afghanistan is nearly silent, out of ear-shot for the moment, but it better be placed on the front-burner of Washington’s discussion plate VERY soon. In the meantime, American men and women will continue to be severely injured and sadly make the ultimate sacrifice, while we continue to fail in providing a clear battle plan.
Clearly, we must do our best to keep the aptly named War on Terrorism in the lands where the religious fanatics promote hatred to us and other developed nations, but we must also have as clear and concise a plan as possible to squash them. We have been in Afghanistan for nine years and on the 39th parallel in Korea for 58 years. Can we learn from this comparison?
As Washington political operatives persist in running for cover, we keep pouring good money after bad and welcome home a growing number of flag covered caskets to grieving families across the fruited plains. This predicament reminds me of an excellent World War ll movie titled “A Bridge Too Far.”
COMMANDER GRANGER
COULD GEORGE WASHINGTON RESOLVE HISTORICAL TENSIONS?
Once again I will refer to one of my favorite books, “The American Patriot’s Almanac,” in bringing George Washington’s remarks of August 16, 1790 to your attention. At that time he journeyed to New England on a goodwill tour, and addressed gatherings in Newport, Rhode Island.
Responding to a letter from the warden of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Washington responded with the following:
“The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy, a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For, happily, the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support”.
With another reference to "The American Patriot’s Almanac," it is noted that Claremont professor Harry Jaffa pointed out that Washington’s letter was the first time in history that any ruler spoke to Jews as equals. Washington closed the letter with a quote from Scripture, “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.”
Your Commander suspects that you, too, will immediately recognize the hypocrisy of Washington and his fellow Founding Fathers to fail for years to neglect the terms of the Declaration of Independence concerning slavery. Fortunately for all mankind Abraham Lincoln resolved that injustice, but my point in bringing Washington’s words is this: one must wonder how George Washington and his contemporaries would have addressed the hatred that flows across the Middle East toward individuals of different religious persuasions?
I bet scholars of various disciplines today could have a field day addressing that question.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Responding to a letter from the warden of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Washington responded with the following:
“The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy, a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For, happily, the government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support”.
With another reference to "The American Patriot’s Almanac," it is noted that Claremont professor Harry Jaffa pointed out that Washington’s letter was the first time in history that any ruler spoke to Jews as equals. Washington closed the letter with a quote from Scripture, “May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit and enjoy the good will of the other inhabitants; while every one shall sit in safety under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid. May the father of all mercies scatter light and not darkness in our paths, and make us all in our several vocations useful here, and in his own due time and way everlastingly happy.”
Your Commander suspects that you, too, will immediately recognize the hypocrisy of Washington and his fellow Founding Fathers to fail for years to neglect the terms of the Declaration of Independence concerning slavery. Fortunately for all mankind Abraham Lincoln resolved that injustice, but my point in bringing Washington’s words is this: one must wonder how George Washington and his contemporaries would have addressed the hatred that flows across the Middle East toward individuals of different religious persuasions?
I bet scholars of various disciplines today could have a field day addressing that question.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Saturday, August 15, 2009
QUALITY WORDS MEET THE TEST OF TIME
If you talk with your average neighbor I will bet you they will tell you they have read our Constitution, but I suspect that very few of our fellow citizens have done so, unless they are senior citizens. My wife remembers having to memorize major parts of the Constitution, and being tested on the details of the Amendments.
Today our schools are so busy trying to move the children through the system, many subjects like civics and physical education have been curtailed or even eliminated. School Boards are so worried they might offend the ACLU, PETA, or any number of minority groups that the 3R’s are neglected. A local school district in my State is even advertising to attract bodies into their system so as to maintain per-head dollar allocations from the federal and state budgetary bureaucracy. With less than 50% graduation rates prevailing in many school districts we are destined to face growing financial obligations with massive welfare, penal, and judicial funding.
Again I suggest that we look back to history to seek guidance in solving our future needs and survival. Way back in August of 1857 noted abolitionist Frederick Douglas spoke influential words relative to the anticipated Civil War. Please take a few moments and consider what this renowned orator said:
“The general sentiment of mankind is that a man who will not fight for himself, when he has the means of doing so, is not worth being fought for by others, and this sentiment is just. For a man who does not value freedom for himself will never value it for others, or put himself to any inconvenience to gain it for others.
The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.
This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
I wonder just how many of today’s school children have studied these words, and do we have enough teachers who even understand their meaning and applicability.
While Douglas’ words were uttered way back in 1857 to solidify public opinion in support of maintaining the Union, these well reasoned words are just as applicable to policies confronting every citizen today. Just consider for one moment how applicable Douglas’ words are to our debate on War, Health Care, Debt, Stimulus, Cap & Trade, Card Check, welfare entitlement, redistribution of wealth, and any number of our other current concerns.
Your Commander suggests that the severity of our governance is so lacking today that we desperately need the eloquence and vision of the likes of a Frederick Douglas or our Founding Fathers to lead us back onto the path of good reason and solidity of purpose. With the electorate in a growing uproar I have increasing concerns about our precious Union and democracy. I pray that we have the likes of another Abraham Lincoln in our future.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Today our schools are so busy trying to move the children through the system, many subjects like civics and physical education have been curtailed or even eliminated. School Boards are so worried they might offend the ACLU, PETA, or any number of minority groups that the 3R’s are neglected. A local school district in my State is even advertising to attract bodies into their system so as to maintain per-head dollar allocations from the federal and state budgetary bureaucracy. With less than 50% graduation rates prevailing in many school districts we are destined to face growing financial obligations with massive welfare, penal, and judicial funding.
Again I suggest that we look back to history to seek guidance in solving our future needs and survival. Way back in August of 1857 noted abolitionist Frederick Douglas spoke influential words relative to the anticipated Civil War. Please take a few moments and consider what this renowned orator said:
“The general sentiment of mankind is that a man who will not fight for himself, when he has the means of doing so, is not worth being fought for by others, and this sentiment is just. For a man who does not value freedom for himself will never value it for others, or put himself to any inconvenience to gain it for others.
The whole history of the progress of human liberty shows that all concessions yet made to her august claims have been born of earnest struggle. The conflict has been exciting, agitating, all-absorbing, and for the time being, putting all other tumults to silence. It must do this or it does nothing. If there is no struggle there is no progress. Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground; they want rain without thunder and lightning. They want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters.
This struggle may be a moral one, or it may be a physical one, and it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle. Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will. Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them, and these will continue till they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.”
I wonder just how many of today’s school children have studied these words, and do we have enough teachers who even understand their meaning and applicability.
While Douglas’ words were uttered way back in 1857 to solidify public opinion in support of maintaining the Union, these well reasoned words are just as applicable to policies confronting every citizen today. Just consider for one moment how applicable Douglas’ words are to our debate on War, Health Care, Debt, Stimulus, Cap & Trade, Card Check, welfare entitlement, redistribution of wealth, and any number of our other current concerns.
Your Commander suggests that the severity of our governance is so lacking today that we desperately need the eloquence and vision of the likes of a Frederick Douglas or our Founding Fathers to lead us back onto the path of good reason and solidity of purpose. With the electorate in a growing uproar I have increasing concerns about our precious Union and democracy. I pray that we have the likes of another Abraham Lincoln in our future.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Thursday, August 13, 2009
SPEAK UP OR SHUT UP
Currently there are several significant pieces of legislation working their way through the Halls of Congress. Increasingly the American voting public has been expressing their growing concerns about the staggering debt being heaped upon their backs, but the individuals we sent to Washington do not seem to be hearing the ringing of our alarm bells.
If your Representatives and Senators are not aware of your displeasure we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We, the voters, and we, the taxpayers, have been sitting silently on our haunches while our elected officials continue spending us unto unsustainable future financial obligations.
Presently historic legislation is being drawn covering Health Care, Cap and Trade, and Card Check. I suggest you demand that your Representative accept coverage in whatever Health Care Bill that is passed, and not have a special Congressional Health Care program. Also other government workers have similar insurance and they should be included in whatever is passed since you and I have been excluded from inclusion in their health care.
All three bills, as they are currently drawn (NOTE: not fully written and without the seemingly obligatory added pork) include massive future tax obligations to every citizen of our country. At the present time we are paying unheard of levels of tax to local government, state tax requirements, and the Obama administration is reversing its promise to lower taxes to over 95% of all taxpayers. The pending legislation on the three above noted issues will result in unsustainable tax requirements, and establish future financial obligations that will ultimately require increasing taxes again down the road.
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. You, the voting taxpayer, must contact your Representative and Senators; tell them your position. If you want your elected official to vote NO then tell them that emphatically. They must be told that if they continue to vote against your interests then you will vote them out of office.
Your Commander has repeatedly sent letters and emails to his Congressional Representative and both Senators urging them to vote NO on Health Care Reform the way it seems to stand now, Cap and Trade, and Card Check. Check your local newspaper for your representative’s office address, email address, and/or telephone number.
The truth of the matter is that I cannot tell you how to vote, although I do have a position, but it is absolutely vital that you express your position firmly by participating in the process. Our elected officials are not operating in our collective best interest, but in their own self-interest. If they realize they may not get re-elected then they may respond accordingly. If your requests are ignored, vote them out of office.
Millions of people around the world would be willing to die to get the opportunity we have to vote. We have that solemn right, but we must now fight to protect and preserve this precious opportunity. It is time to stop complaining and get off our backsides to make our position well known in Washington.
EXPRESS YOUR POSITION NOW OR KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT WHEN WE LOSE OUR LIBERTY AND PRECIOUS AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE.
COMMANDER GRANGER
If your Representatives and Senators are not aware of your displeasure we have nobody to blame but ourselves. We, the voters, and we, the taxpayers, have been sitting silently on our haunches while our elected officials continue spending us unto unsustainable future financial obligations.
Presently historic legislation is being drawn covering Health Care, Cap and Trade, and Card Check. I suggest you demand that your Representative accept coverage in whatever Health Care Bill that is passed, and not have a special Congressional Health Care program. Also other government workers have similar insurance and they should be included in whatever is passed since you and I have been excluded from inclusion in their health care.
All three bills, as they are currently drawn (NOTE: not fully written and without the seemingly obligatory added pork) include massive future tax obligations to every citizen of our country. At the present time we are paying unheard of levels of tax to local government, state tax requirements, and the Obama administration is reversing its promise to lower taxes to over 95% of all taxpayers. The pending legislation on the three above noted issues will result in unsustainable tax requirements, and establish future financial obligations that will ultimately require increasing taxes again down the road.
NOW IS THE TIME TO ACT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. You, the voting taxpayer, must contact your Representative and Senators; tell them your position. If you want your elected official to vote NO then tell them that emphatically. They must be told that if they continue to vote against your interests then you will vote them out of office.
Your Commander has repeatedly sent letters and emails to his Congressional Representative and both Senators urging them to vote NO on Health Care Reform the way it seems to stand now, Cap and Trade, and Card Check. Check your local newspaper for your representative’s office address, email address, and/or telephone number.
The truth of the matter is that I cannot tell you how to vote, although I do have a position, but it is absolutely vital that you express your position firmly by participating in the process. Our elected officials are not operating in our collective best interest, but in their own self-interest. If they realize they may not get re-elected then they may respond accordingly. If your requests are ignored, vote them out of office.
Millions of people around the world would be willing to die to get the opportunity we have to vote. We have that solemn right, but we must now fight to protect and preserve this precious opportunity. It is time to stop complaining and get off our backsides to make our position well known in Washington.
EXPRESS YOUR POSITION NOW OR KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT WHEN WE LOSE OUR LIBERTY AND PRECIOUS AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE.
COMMANDER GRANGER
IT'S A VERY SMALL WORLD; OR SHUT UP AND THROW THE DICE
On Tuesdays I have lunch with members of The Pathetic Golf League (PGL). During a conversation with a prominent local attorney I was surprised to learn that he had served in the Army of Occupation following World War II at Kunsan, Korea. He must have seen my jaw drop, because I, too, served at Kunsan near the end of the Korean War. I have never met anyone who served there or even knew where it was since I returned fifty-five years ago.
At the time my friend, Tom, served there it was an Army Air Corp Base. Following the War President Harry Truman created the United States Air Force and that Air Corp base became K-8 Air Base during the Korean War. This coincidental discussion brought back many memories, especially since Tom mentioned that he served as the Assistant to the Chaplain. Actually, his duty assignment was made because Tom had left the seminary to enlist in the Army.
As lunch proceeded I related the fact that I was the Base Provost Sergeant as a member of the 3rd Bomb Wing Air Police Squadron. During the War, security was extremely tight with K-8 being designated as a secure site with no one being permitted beyond the boundaries of the base. Once the Peace Treaty was signed the tight security rules were relaxed and, while there was continued tension, the atmosphere was morerelaxed.
Gambling was always prevalent in the huts and tents, and it frequently became a trouble-some concern to the Base Commander. To bring some order and control over the situation, my Squadron Chaplain organized a Friday Night Crap Game. He ran the game and took a house cut to augment his Religious operations at the large non-denominational church tent. I was assigned to provide security and maintain good order, and I recruited a fellow member of my Squadron to be in attendance with his guard dog. Since we both carried a side arm, and had that German Shepard we had a unique influence with the assembled.
Once we appeared, good order prevailed and the Catholic Priest’s presence caused the severity of the language to be significantly improved. I remember Father telling us that he was totally qualified to oversee the Crap Game, because he had frequently provided leadership to games of chance at his home parish back in Omaha. Additionally, the Chaplain volunteered a Supply Sergeant and a Master Sergeant from the Food Service Squadron to acquire and dispense beverages. Life was much improved, and everyone looked forward to festive Friday evenings, since we were all still restricted to the confines of the base.
Some evenings we had as many as one hundred fifty men in attendance. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there were few women assigned to our base, with the exception of one Red Cross Woman and two Air Force Nurses. They were kept isolated to themselves for self-preservation sake.
In the winter months we heated the tents with oil burning stoves. One night someone turned the oil flow level too high and the entire tent caught fire ending the game quite prematurely as we scampered for safety.
Life in Korea during the War was most arduous with high levels of tension, but conditions and morale changed dramatically once the Peace Treaty took affect. I vividly remember one Airman who had just won a whole pile of money screaming, “WAR IS HELL,” grabbing his money and getting out of the game. Fortunately travel orders to go home were increasing at record levels so the attendance dropped dramatically at our Friday Evening Prayer Meetings, but it was a real morale booster as long as it lasted.
Then just last Saturday I was talking with my cousin’s husband, and related this story, which brought another surprise. While serving in the Marine Corp during the Viet Nam War, he was temporarily assigned to K-8 Kunsan for a few days. Another small world occurrence, each separated by many years.
Thanks to our Tuesday luncheon meeting some pleasant memories flooded back from the deep recesses of my aging brain.
COMMANDER GRANGER
At the time my friend, Tom, served there it was an Army Air Corp Base. Following the War President Harry Truman created the United States Air Force and that Air Corp base became K-8 Air Base during the Korean War. This coincidental discussion brought back many memories, especially since Tom mentioned that he served as the Assistant to the Chaplain. Actually, his duty assignment was made because Tom had left the seminary to enlist in the Army.
As lunch proceeded I related the fact that I was the Base Provost Sergeant as a member of the 3rd Bomb Wing Air Police Squadron. During the War, security was extremely tight with K-8 being designated as a secure site with no one being permitted beyond the boundaries of the base. Once the Peace Treaty was signed the tight security rules were relaxed and, while there was continued tension, the atmosphere was morerelaxed.
Gambling was always prevalent in the huts and tents, and it frequently became a trouble-some concern to the Base Commander. To bring some order and control over the situation, my Squadron Chaplain organized a Friday Night Crap Game. He ran the game and took a house cut to augment his Religious operations at the large non-denominational church tent. I was assigned to provide security and maintain good order, and I recruited a fellow member of my Squadron to be in attendance with his guard dog. Since we both carried a side arm, and had that German Shepard we had a unique influence with the assembled.
Once we appeared, good order prevailed and the Catholic Priest’s presence caused the severity of the language to be significantly improved. I remember Father telling us that he was totally qualified to oversee the Crap Game, because he had frequently provided leadership to games of chance at his home parish back in Omaha. Additionally, the Chaplain volunteered a Supply Sergeant and a Master Sergeant from the Food Service Squadron to acquire and dispense beverages. Life was much improved, and everyone looked forward to festive Friday evenings, since we were all still restricted to the confines of the base.
Some evenings we had as many as one hundred fifty men in attendance. Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, there were few women assigned to our base, with the exception of one Red Cross Woman and two Air Force Nurses. They were kept isolated to themselves for self-preservation sake.
In the winter months we heated the tents with oil burning stoves. One night someone turned the oil flow level too high and the entire tent caught fire ending the game quite prematurely as we scampered for safety.
Life in Korea during the War was most arduous with high levels of tension, but conditions and morale changed dramatically once the Peace Treaty took affect. I vividly remember one Airman who had just won a whole pile of money screaming, “WAR IS HELL,” grabbing his money and getting out of the game. Fortunately travel orders to go home were increasing at record levels so the attendance dropped dramatically at our Friday Evening Prayer Meetings, but it was a real morale booster as long as it lasted.
Then just last Saturday I was talking with my cousin’s husband, and related this story, which brought another surprise. While serving in the Marine Corp during the Viet Nam War, he was temporarily assigned to K-8 Kunsan for a few days. Another small world occurrence, each separated by many years.
Thanks to our Tuesday luncheon meeting some pleasant memories flooded back from the deep recesses of my aging brain.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
AFGHANISTAN - ARE WE THERE TO WIN?
After viewing the appearance of General James Jones, Obama’s National Security Advisor, on Sunday’s (8/9/09) Meet the Press, I have growing concern about the intentions of the United States when it comes to our long range plans in Afghanistan. When questioned by host David Gregory, Jones gave a Washington-speak response that indicated that the Administration felt it could take ten years to resolve the situation.
There have been some interesting articles appearing in the national media, and some suggest that we are currently losing the war to the Taliban. Since our new President announced the substantial increase of over 25,000 additional troops, their full impact is yet to be felt, but it is a clear fact that our combat troops are thinly dispersed. While there are additional contingents of NATO and/or United Nations forces there, we lead the troop commitment by a huge margin.
Monday’s New York Times (8/11) carried another interesting article indicating that we are finally addressing the influence of the poppy fields in providing funding for the Taliban insurgency. How many years have we known that fact and now we are finally addressing the flow of opium across the world?
Personally, I do not care one twit if we hurt the feelings of the local poppy farmers. I have long felt we should totally destroy those fields. Now there is a proposal that we pay the farmers to grow other crops. Remember, please, that we previously gave the farmers $250 million to grow something else. Here we go again trying to buy new friends with our taxpayer’s hard earned dollars. You may remember that back on April 29th I expressed my sentiments about the Poppy Fields in depth.
I listened to General Jones carefully and I have growing concerns that we are again on a “Nation Building” mission in Afghanistan. Jones indicated that it would take another eighteen months to determine if the current battle plan is working and I suggest that is totally unacceptable to wait that long before instituting additional corrective measures. Jones said it would take a long time to train the local Army to defend themselves without our support. How can this Administration accept the continued escalation of battle field deaths and horrendous injuries to our brave fighting men and women?
Our government has the perfect opportunity to address the issues in Afghanistan by restricting the flow of financial aide to the Afghan leadership. We continue to toss billions of dollars to corrupt governments across the world and we have little or no accountability or positive results. Pakistan, a key factor in solving the Afghanistan problem, is only giving lip-service to the issue of border security, but we still are propping up that questionable government, too.
How can we continue to funnel our brave young fighting forces into Wars where we apparently have no real will to win? Here we go again with another Viet Nam, Korea, Iraq One and Iraq Two. This is now clearly Obama’s War and currently his administration is trying to keep the current situation buried in the back pages of our newspapers and cable new channels. It is becoming obvious that we need many more troops, so let us provide them, do the job, win the war and get the hell out of that cess pool.
Tragically this is another one of the dirty little hidden secrets growing within the Obama Administration. The American public will not, and must not permit another war to continue where our brave women and men are just cannon fodder for political considerations. We cannot continue to play games with our fellow citizen’s lives with “Nation Building” when we cannot operate in a financially responsible way within the confines of our own country. No where in the Obama staged talks, nor in the General Jones interview did I hear our clear intentions to win the war and get the hell out of Afghanistan. The United Nations is giving the good old USA the finger one more time, but our complicit Congress will keep pouring millions into their corrupt pockets.
COMMANDER GRANGER
There have been some interesting articles appearing in the national media, and some suggest that we are currently losing the war to the Taliban. Since our new President announced the substantial increase of over 25,000 additional troops, their full impact is yet to be felt, but it is a clear fact that our combat troops are thinly dispersed. While there are additional contingents of NATO and/or United Nations forces there, we lead the troop commitment by a huge margin.
Monday’s New York Times (8/11) carried another interesting article indicating that we are finally addressing the influence of the poppy fields in providing funding for the Taliban insurgency. How many years have we known that fact and now we are finally addressing the flow of opium across the world?
Personally, I do not care one twit if we hurt the feelings of the local poppy farmers. I have long felt we should totally destroy those fields. Now there is a proposal that we pay the farmers to grow other crops. Remember, please, that we previously gave the farmers $250 million to grow something else. Here we go again trying to buy new friends with our taxpayer’s hard earned dollars. You may remember that back on April 29th I expressed my sentiments about the Poppy Fields in depth.
I listened to General Jones carefully and I have growing concerns that we are again on a “Nation Building” mission in Afghanistan. Jones indicated that it would take another eighteen months to determine if the current battle plan is working and I suggest that is totally unacceptable to wait that long before instituting additional corrective measures. Jones said it would take a long time to train the local Army to defend themselves without our support. How can this Administration accept the continued escalation of battle field deaths and horrendous injuries to our brave fighting men and women?
Our government has the perfect opportunity to address the issues in Afghanistan by restricting the flow of financial aide to the Afghan leadership. We continue to toss billions of dollars to corrupt governments across the world and we have little or no accountability or positive results. Pakistan, a key factor in solving the Afghanistan problem, is only giving lip-service to the issue of border security, but we still are propping up that questionable government, too.
How can we continue to funnel our brave young fighting forces into Wars where we apparently have no real will to win? Here we go again with another Viet Nam, Korea, Iraq One and Iraq Two. This is now clearly Obama’s War and currently his administration is trying to keep the current situation buried in the back pages of our newspapers and cable new channels. It is becoming obvious that we need many more troops, so let us provide them, do the job, win the war and get the hell out of that cess pool.
Tragically this is another one of the dirty little hidden secrets growing within the Obama Administration. The American public will not, and must not permit another war to continue where our brave women and men are just cannon fodder for political considerations. We cannot continue to play games with our fellow citizen’s lives with “Nation Building” when we cannot operate in a financially responsible way within the confines of our own country. No where in the Obama staged talks, nor in the General Jones interview did I hear our clear intentions to win the war and get the hell out of Afghanistan. The United Nations is giving the good old USA the finger one more time, but our complicit Congress will keep pouring millions into their corrupt pockets.
COMMANDER GRANGER
POLITICAL CORRUPTION SPREADS SHAME
Months ago your Commander wrote regretfully that he was withdrawing his long planned estate commitment to the University of Illinois because of their botched handling of the NCAA ruling against Chief Illiniwek. Additionally, I expressed my disgust with their retention of William Ayers as a tenured Professor at the Chicago Campus.
Having expressed my intensions way back on March 17 of this year, I have now been reassured that my action was appropriate. Now the University is totally enmeshed in an admissions scandal that extends into the highest ranks of the administration, and the entire University Board of Trustees. It is obvious that the political corruption that has long cast a shadow over the entire state has negatively impacted the integrity of this great institution long renowned for academic excellence.
The Chicago Tribune recently carried a great article outlining the fact that six expensive law firms have been retained to address this debacle, and the resulting internet comments called for total exposure of this embarrassing action.
The Governor has called for the entire Board of Trustees to resign, and thus far only three have taken his advice. I suggest that the Governor fire all of the Trustees and the top administrative leadership if it is found that they had any involvement in influence peddling. It is time to clean house and return this once proud educational institution to its place as a noble home of educational excellence. Political clout cannot be permitted to enter the admission office where public dollars fund the school’s very existence.
The only good thing that has occurred from this scandal is to see the political junkies (rats) run for cover.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Having expressed my intensions way back on March 17 of this year, I have now been reassured that my action was appropriate. Now the University is totally enmeshed in an admissions scandal that extends into the highest ranks of the administration, and the entire University Board of Trustees. It is obvious that the political corruption that has long cast a shadow over the entire state has negatively impacted the integrity of this great institution long renowned for academic excellence.
The Chicago Tribune recently carried a great article outlining the fact that six expensive law firms have been retained to address this debacle, and the resulting internet comments called for total exposure of this embarrassing action.
The Governor has called for the entire Board of Trustees to resign, and thus far only three have taken his advice. I suggest that the Governor fire all of the Trustees and the top administrative leadership if it is found that they had any involvement in influence peddling. It is time to clean house and return this once proud educational institution to its place as a noble home of educational excellence. Political clout cannot be permitted to enter the admission office where public dollars fund the school’s very existence.
The only good thing that has occurred from this scandal is to see the political junkies (rats) run for cover.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
CONFLICTING WORDS
As we slog through our economic quagmire, words become more important in our daily understanding of good governance. Let us just look at a couple of well used words that are tossed around frequently in this heated debate.
According to Webster’s Dictionary –
LEADER – a person or thing that leads; directing, commanding, or guiding head, as of a group or activity.
LEAD – to show the way to, or direct the course of, by going before or along with; conduct; guide. To show (the way) in this manner. To mark the way.
POLITICIAN – A person actively engaged in politics. A person holding or seeking political office; frequently used in a derogatory sense, with implications of seeking personal or partisan gain, scheming, opportunism, etc.
If we are to take the meaning of these words literally (and why would we not), then it is obvious to me that one who LEADS or a LEADER is not compatible with being a POLITICIAN. Your Commander strongly suggests that we need more leaders who will lead and far fewer politicians.
COMMANDER GRANGER
According to Webster’s Dictionary –
LEADER – a person or thing that leads; directing, commanding, or guiding head, as of a group or activity.
LEAD – to show the way to, or direct the course of, by going before or along with; conduct; guide. To show (the way) in this manner. To mark the way.
POLITICIAN – A person actively engaged in politics. A person holding or seeking political office; frequently used in a derogatory sense, with implications of seeking personal or partisan gain, scheming, opportunism, etc.
If we are to take the meaning of these words literally (and why would we not), then it is obvious to me that one who LEADS or a LEADER is not compatible with being a POLITICIAN. Your Commander strongly suggests that we need more leaders who will lead and far fewer politicians.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Friday, August 7, 2009
OH, MICHELLE. OH, MICHELLE, HOW DARE YOU!
America’s love affair with President Barack Hussein Obama and his wife, Michelle, continues as our main-street media gushes unrelentingly across the pages of our newspapers, radios and televisions screens. While Michelle had a rough start after announcing that for the first time in her life she was proud to be an American, all that negative sentiment changed when her husband was elected to the highest office in our land.
Now eight months into the rein of the Obama’s all-knowing, all-seeing administration, Presidential poll numbers are beginning to see a sharp downturn and their reaction is shock and awe. Unfortunately, only a few of the twenty-four news channels have openly raised questions about the Obama aura, and shockingly suggest that all is not well in the perfect house, more commonly known as The White House.
Our media outlets have only heaped praise and wonder relative to our new First Lady, and they fell all over themselves when she placed her shovel into the ground at the White House to create a vegetable garden last spring. This was obviously the first SHOVEL READY PROJECT of the Obama administration. Now as the first green growth has appeared it has come to light, shockingly, that the garden was planted on sludge laden soil.
I am just shocked, because certainly a lady with the brilliance that I have been sold Michelle possesses should have known that the soil was polluted. Don’t you wonder when Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) or Henry Waxman (D-CA) will call for a Congressional investigation to determine if First Lady Laura Bush, prior to leaving, polluted the hallowed grounds of the White House to make the Obama family sick? In fact, it was when the Clintons occupied “the people’s house” that sewer sludge was used to fertilize the lawn!
Not surprisingly our American media did not break this following story, but it took an enterprising Canadian internet source (Canada Free Press.Com) to bring the following facts to our attention.
Permit me to quote from their report: “Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think, Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary of her personal secretary. How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:
1. $172,200 – Sher, Susan (Chief of Staff)
2. $140,000 – Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy, Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
3. $113,000 – Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 – Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. Unknown salary – Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for the First Lady)
6. $90,000 – Medina, David S. (Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 – Lelyveld, Catherine (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady.
8. $75,000 – Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 – Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 – Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. Unknown salary – Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 – Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator for the First Lady).
13. $60,000 – Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady.
14. Unknown salary – Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady.
15. $52,000 – Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to the First Lady)
16. $50,000 – Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide to the First Lady)
17. $45,000 – Lechenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
18. Unknown salary – Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 – Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 – Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. Unknown salary – Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. Unknown salary – Jackson, Delia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers, an astounding 22 that we know of, whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one, Laura Bush one, and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President’s own pocket.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and “First Hairstylist” Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe.”
WOW! By my public school education addition that comes to a staggering $1,188,700 per year and that is not the real total, because we do not know all the salary information. In these times of economic stress and excessive trillion dollar spending, I find this action to be gross arrogance, and a staggering misuse of position.
Is there a chance that you, too, share my concern for this situation about it not being brought to our attention by any enterprising American journalist? Remember that these are the same journalists that failed to alert us to Michelle Obama’s phony $300,000 plus employment deal at the University of Chicago or Barack’s complicit quid pro quo $1 million dollar e-mark for that same institution.
There is no longer any question about the main-stream media being in the hip pocket of the Obama Administration. It is little wonder that the electorate is in an uproar about the gross arrogance and entitlement being displayed by a leadership that campaigned on CHANGE AND TRANSPARENCY, but what we received is deception and lies learned on the streets of Chicago-style politics.
The disclosure of this information only fuels the fire surrounding the embargo of Michelle’s papers at Princeton University!
COMMANDER GRANGER
Now eight months into the rein of the Obama’s all-knowing, all-seeing administration, Presidential poll numbers are beginning to see a sharp downturn and their reaction is shock and awe. Unfortunately, only a few of the twenty-four news channels have openly raised questions about the Obama aura, and shockingly suggest that all is not well in the perfect house, more commonly known as The White House.
Our media outlets have only heaped praise and wonder relative to our new First Lady, and they fell all over themselves when she placed her shovel into the ground at the White House to create a vegetable garden last spring. This was obviously the first SHOVEL READY PROJECT of the Obama administration. Now as the first green growth has appeared it has come to light, shockingly, that the garden was planted on sludge laden soil.
I am just shocked, because certainly a lady with the brilliance that I have been sold Michelle possesses should have known that the soil was polluted. Don’t you wonder when Congressman Charlie Rangel (D-NY) or Henry Waxman (D-CA) will call for a Congressional investigation to determine if First Lady Laura Bush, prior to leaving, polluted the hallowed grounds of the White House to make the Obama family sick? In fact, it was when the Clintons occupied “the people’s house” that sewer sludge was used to fertilize the lawn!
Not surprisingly our American media did not break this following story, but it took an enterprising Canadian internet source (Canada Free Press.Com) to bring the following facts to our attention.
Permit me to quote from their report: “Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn’t perform any official duties. But this hasn’t deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think, Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary of her personal secretary. How things have changed! If you’re one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Miz Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by John Q. Public:
1. $172,200 – Sher, Susan (Chief of Staff)
2. $140,000 – Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy, Assistant to the President and Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
3. $113,000 – Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary)
4. $102,000 – Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. Unknown salary – Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief of Staff for the First Lady)
6. $90,000 – Medina, David S. (Deputy Chief of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 – Lelyveld, Catherine (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady.
8. $75,000 – Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 – Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 – Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. Unknown salary – Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 – Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator for the First Lady).
13. $60,000 – Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady.
14. Unknown salary – Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady.
15. $52,000 – Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary to the First Lady)
16. $50,000 – Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide to the First Lady)
17. $45,000 – Lechenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
18. Unknown salary – Tubman, Samantha (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 – Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 – Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. Unknown salary – Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. Unknown salary – Jackson, Delia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
There has never been anyone in the White House at any time that has created such an army of staffers, an astounding 22 that we know of, whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady’s social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense, when even Hillary, only had three; Jackie Kennedy one, Laura Bush one, and prior to Mamie Eisenhower social help came from the President’s own pocket.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and “First Hairstylist” Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe.”
WOW! By my public school education addition that comes to a staggering $1,188,700 per year and that is not the real total, because we do not know all the salary information. In these times of economic stress and excessive trillion dollar spending, I find this action to be gross arrogance, and a staggering misuse of position.
Is there a chance that you, too, share my concern for this situation about it not being brought to our attention by any enterprising American journalist? Remember that these are the same journalists that failed to alert us to Michelle Obama’s phony $300,000 plus employment deal at the University of Chicago or Barack’s complicit quid pro quo $1 million dollar e-mark for that same institution.
There is no longer any question about the main-stream media being in the hip pocket of the Obama Administration. It is little wonder that the electorate is in an uproar about the gross arrogance and entitlement being displayed by a leadership that campaigned on CHANGE AND TRANSPARENCY, but what we received is deception and lies learned on the streets of Chicago-style politics.
The disclosure of this information only fuels the fire surrounding the embargo of Michelle’s papers at Princeton University!
COMMANDER GRANGER
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
GOING POSTAL
Yesterday our airwaves were filled with near frantic stories that our U. S. Postal Service was deep in debt and projected to lose $7 billion dollars this year. There is a list of post offices suggested to be closed and a trial balloon is being floated to reduce delivery from six days to five days per week. Today you cannot find one story in any of the major newspapers, and I have yet to hear one news flash on the 24 hour cable news channels.
In order to address this topic I have read at least fifty pages of information, generated by searching Google, concerning our Postal Service’s financial health. First of all, I was surprised to see a familiar name from our early history was the very first Postmaster General. Yes, Benjamin Franklin was named to that important post in July of 1775 with an annual salary of $1,000 and his secretary was paid $340. That was big money back in those days, and it is no wonder that Franklin could afford to chase the ladies. Most of our early mail service was carrying communications between Congress and the armies.
As long as I can remember the Postal Service has always been crying the financial blues and asking Congress permission to continue to raise postal rates. One of the newscasts yesterday said that the Postal Service has never laid off an employee. That’s 1775 until 2009! I find that fact to be amazing and arrogant.
Our mail service has a similar problem as that confronting our newspapers and television stations across the country. The INTERNET has changed many older business models. In the case of the postal service this has caused dramatically reduced mail volume sent by individuals and businesses alike. Anyone who thinks something can be done to significantly increase the amount of snail-mail being sent in the foreseeable future is just plain dumb.
It is your Commander’s opinion that the current Postmaster General, John Potter, and both Committees of Congress who have been providing oversight should be fired as irresponsible and inept. Remember the individuals providing over-sight have FREE franking privileges (sending mail to constituents in their home district or state), so they do not have to worry about increased costs. A bi-partisan cross section of CITIZENS (urban, rural, etc.) should be formed immediately to study the situation, and report back to Congress within 120 days with their suggestions.
It is my further opinion that bids should be requested from private business to assume our national postal service operation. I am certain that companies such as Federal Express or United Parcel would be interested in bidding and could perform an acceptable job that would save the American taxpayers money and provide a product that would be attractive to private citizens and business alike.
I doubt that this proposal will receive any traction in the Halls of Congress, because the Postal Service employee’s all-powerful union will exert its fullest influence on our susceptible elected officials. One of the articles that I read on the internet stated that applicants for starting positions (no experience necesssary) are paid $20.00 per hour! There is the start of the problem, because you and I know that the unions prop up excessive salaries and benefits.
The size of the staff is unwarranted when you recognize that the amount of mail has been steadily decreasing. Additionally, there are far too many postal outlets, and changes must take place in rural areas. Rural delivery is one of the most expensive areas of postal service. Perhaps rural delivery could take place twice a week, while pick up at the rural post office would be available during daily business hours, without having to rent a PO box.
I would also bet that the Postal Service employees will be exempt from the proposed Health Care Reform (just like Congress) and the rest of us will have it forced down our throats. They won’t have to go for counseling every five years once they reach age 65 and be instructed about declining services for age related illnesses.
Our Postal Service has long been over-staffed, and over-paid for a service and a product that has a shrinking value or need. Cutting back mail delivery on Saturdays should obviously be done immediately, but it will not solve the systemic financial decay of a dying product (think telegrams).
Postal rates are just like death, and taxes, because they are inevitable to only increase. Before long, we, the taxpaying employers, won’t have anything left financially, so why will we need the post office? Do you suspect our government officials will make a good business decision relative to the U.S. Postal Service? Hell no…they only want the Postal Union’s campaign contributions, the postal service employees’ votes, and our tax dollars…nothing else.
COMMANDER GRANGER
In order to address this topic I have read at least fifty pages of information, generated by searching Google, concerning our Postal Service’s financial health. First of all, I was surprised to see a familiar name from our early history was the very first Postmaster General. Yes, Benjamin Franklin was named to that important post in July of 1775 with an annual salary of $1,000 and his secretary was paid $340. That was big money back in those days, and it is no wonder that Franklin could afford to chase the ladies. Most of our early mail service was carrying communications between Congress and the armies.
As long as I can remember the Postal Service has always been crying the financial blues and asking Congress permission to continue to raise postal rates. One of the newscasts yesterday said that the Postal Service has never laid off an employee. That’s 1775 until 2009! I find that fact to be amazing and arrogant.
Our mail service has a similar problem as that confronting our newspapers and television stations across the country. The INTERNET has changed many older business models. In the case of the postal service this has caused dramatically reduced mail volume sent by individuals and businesses alike. Anyone who thinks something can be done to significantly increase the amount of snail-mail being sent in the foreseeable future is just plain dumb.
It is your Commander’s opinion that the current Postmaster General, John Potter, and both Committees of Congress who have been providing oversight should be fired as irresponsible and inept. Remember the individuals providing over-sight have FREE franking privileges (sending mail to constituents in their home district or state), so they do not have to worry about increased costs. A bi-partisan cross section of CITIZENS (urban, rural, etc.) should be formed immediately to study the situation, and report back to Congress within 120 days with their suggestions.
It is my further opinion that bids should be requested from private business to assume our national postal service operation. I am certain that companies such as Federal Express or United Parcel would be interested in bidding and could perform an acceptable job that would save the American taxpayers money and provide a product that would be attractive to private citizens and business alike.
I doubt that this proposal will receive any traction in the Halls of Congress, because the Postal Service employee’s all-powerful union will exert its fullest influence on our susceptible elected officials. One of the articles that I read on the internet stated that applicants for starting positions (no experience necesssary) are paid $20.00 per hour! There is the start of the problem, because you and I know that the unions prop up excessive salaries and benefits.
The size of the staff is unwarranted when you recognize that the amount of mail has been steadily decreasing. Additionally, there are far too many postal outlets, and changes must take place in rural areas. Rural delivery is one of the most expensive areas of postal service. Perhaps rural delivery could take place twice a week, while pick up at the rural post office would be available during daily business hours, without having to rent a PO box.
I would also bet that the Postal Service employees will be exempt from the proposed Health Care Reform (just like Congress) and the rest of us will have it forced down our throats. They won’t have to go for counseling every five years once they reach age 65 and be instructed about declining services for age related illnesses.
Our Postal Service has long been over-staffed, and over-paid for a service and a product that has a shrinking value or need. Cutting back mail delivery on Saturdays should obviously be done immediately, but it will not solve the systemic financial decay of a dying product (think telegrams).
Postal rates are just like death, and taxes, because they are inevitable to only increase. Before long, we, the taxpaying employers, won’t have anything left financially, so why will we need the post office? Do you suspect our government officials will make a good business decision relative to the U.S. Postal Service? Hell no…they only want the Postal Union’s campaign contributions, the postal service employees’ votes, and our tax dollars…nothing else.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
ARE WE BRAIN DEAD?
Tragically, I am coming to the conclusion that the voters in the United States are either just plain dumb or are completely brain dead. How can we continue to elect and re-elect individuals to high office who do not abide by their oath of office or the interests of their constituents?
Would you have voted for Barack Obama if you knew that he would appoint thirty-three individuals as Czars? Who gave him the authority to create these additional layers of bureaucracy? I have asked my local newspaper repeatedly to tell us who these people are and how much they are paid, but I cannot get an answer. I don’t know why they refuse to provide that information or service. Your Commander wonders if any of the Obama appointed Czars operate fuel efficient automobiles. Hypocrisy rules in Washington.
Would you have voted for Barack Obama if you knew he would nationalize both General Motors and Chrysler? Who gave our president the authority to fire the CEO of General Motors and invest our money in those companies? Why was Congress not consulted in the nationalization of some of our most significant banking institutions?
I find it most interesting that a man who taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago repeatedly disregards or violates the Constitution he swore to uphold. It is important to note, too, that Obama was not a Professor as he has claimed on numerous occasions. Per FactCheck.Org Barack Obama’s actual title was Senior Lecturer and not Professor, which was first exposed by then Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The difference between a Professor and a Senior Lecturer is that the former has tenure, and Lecturers do not. Unchallenged Obama has frequently misrepresented his University of Chicago official title.
Did you endorse or approve of the passage of the Stimulus Bill knowing that our legislators did not have time to read the contents of the massive, pork-laden legislation? It is now apparent that we, the voters, were told a lie when we were assured Shovel Ready projects would commence immediately. Who is being held accountable for the extensive misuse of Stimulus money? Nobody is the answer. Does it surprise you that a significant portion of the Stimulus money has gone to communities where Obama received high voter support? As I reported earlier hundreds of stimulus checks went to individuals who have been dead for many years. Were we not assured that Vice-President Joe Biden would be held responsible to see that there was no waste in the Stimulus Bill?
Why do we repeatedly vote for leaders who say one thing and then do something directly opposite of their original position? American voters were promised CHANGE and TRANSPARENCY, and we have gotten the same old political double-speak. Did you vote for a massive increase in our national debt? Do you approve of the proposed CAP AND TRADE legislation? Do you support the pro-union legislation against a secret ballot, also known as CARD CHECK? Do you approve of health care reform for the nation that does not include members of Congress and other government employees?
Personally, I refuse to be told that I should drive a small automobile that is more fuel efficient when I do not know of one of our national leaders who is operating one of those vehicles. Washington’s streets are packed with SUVs and limousines, not small fuel efficient cars. It starts with our President flying excessively all over the world in a fuel consuming expensive luxury jet at taxpayer expense. Why do we permit our legislative officials to continue to take taxpayer paid junkets all over the world without any oversight? Why are you and I told to not pollute the skies, but it is ok for them to fly back to their districts every weekend to see voters and raise more re-election money?
Our government made it very clear that troubled companies were to stop having meetings in Las Vegas and other fashionable locations, but apparently it is acceptable for the Social Security officials to hold a training session at the Arizona Biltmore Resort that cost in excess of $700,000, when it is widely known that system is going broke. Obviously our government operates under a different set of rules than those forced upon the taxpayers. Do you suspect that the ownership of the Biltmore made a substantial contribution to the Democrat campaign?
I do not see any of our political leaders making sacrifices, but I do see our officials becoming further isolated from the daily problems confronting the taxpayers of this country. Our elected are living in an elite, isolated world and getting richer each day. We who are paying their bills are getting poorer each day and being required to live under their thumbs. We are just damn fools and they are laughing all the way to the bank at our expense. WAKE-UP AMERICA. We elected these people into office and we have the ability to toss them out!
COMMANDER GRANGER
Would you have voted for Barack Obama if you knew that he would appoint thirty-three individuals as Czars? Who gave him the authority to create these additional layers of bureaucracy? I have asked my local newspaper repeatedly to tell us who these people are and how much they are paid, but I cannot get an answer. I don’t know why they refuse to provide that information or service. Your Commander wonders if any of the Obama appointed Czars operate fuel efficient automobiles. Hypocrisy rules in Washington.
Would you have voted for Barack Obama if you knew he would nationalize both General Motors and Chrysler? Who gave our president the authority to fire the CEO of General Motors and invest our money in those companies? Why was Congress not consulted in the nationalization of some of our most significant banking institutions?
I find it most interesting that a man who taught Constitutional Law at the University of Chicago repeatedly disregards or violates the Constitution he swore to uphold. It is important to note, too, that Obama was not a Professor as he has claimed on numerous occasions. Per FactCheck.Org Barack Obama’s actual title was Senior Lecturer and not Professor, which was first exposed by then Sen. Hillary Clinton’s campaign. The difference between a Professor and a Senior Lecturer is that the former has tenure, and Lecturers do not. Unchallenged Obama has frequently misrepresented his University of Chicago official title.
Did you endorse or approve of the passage of the Stimulus Bill knowing that our legislators did not have time to read the contents of the massive, pork-laden legislation? It is now apparent that we, the voters, were told a lie when we were assured Shovel Ready projects would commence immediately. Who is being held accountable for the extensive misuse of Stimulus money? Nobody is the answer. Does it surprise you that a significant portion of the Stimulus money has gone to communities where Obama received high voter support? As I reported earlier hundreds of stimulus checks went to individuals who have been dead for many years. Were we not assured that Vice-President Joe Biden would be held responsible to see that there was no waste in the Stimulus Bill?
Why do we repeatedly vote for leaders who say one thing and then do something directly opposite of their original position? American voters were promised CHANGE and TRANSPARENCY, and we have gotten the same old political double-speak. Did you vote for a massive increase in our national debt? Do you approve of the proposed CAP AND TRADE legislation? Do you support the pro-union legislation against a secret ballot, also known as CARD CHECK? Do you approve of health care reform for the nation that does not include members of Congress and other government employees?
Personally, I refuse to be told that I should drive a small automobile that is more fuel efficient when I do not know of one of our national leaders who is operating one of those vehicles. Washington’s streets are packed with SUVs and limousines, not small fuel efficient cars. It starts with our President flying excessively all over the world in a fuel consuming expensive luxury jet at taxpayer expense. Why do we permit our legislative officials to continue to take taxpayer paid junkets all over the world without any oversight? Why are you and I told to not pollute the skies, but it is ok for them to fly back to their districts every weekend to see voters and raise more re-election money?
Our government made it very clear that troubled companies were to stop having meetings in Las Vegas and other fashionable locations, but apparently it is acceptable for the Social Security officials to hold a training session at the Arizona Biltmore Resort that cost in excess of $700,000, when it is widely known that system is going broke. Obviously our government operates under a different set of rules than those forced upon the taxpayers. Do you suspect that the ownership of the Biltmore made a substantial contribution to the Democrat campaign?
I do not see any of our political leaders making sacrifices, but I do see our officials becoming further isolated from the daily problems confronting the taxpayers of this country. Our elected are living in an elite, isolated world and getting richer each day. We who are paying their bills are getting poorer each day and being required to live under their thumbs. We are just damn fools and they are laughing all the way to the bank at our expense. WAKE-UP AMERICA. We elected these people into office and we have the ability to toss them out!
COMMANDER GRANGER
Sunday, August 2, 2009
WHAT HAPPENED TO INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM?
With our economy experiencing a significant down cycle we are hearing the newspapers and broadcast industry screaming that they are losing their shirts financially. It is your Commander’s opinion that they have nobody to blame but themselves, because they are under-delivering what should be a quality product.
Let us look at a few examples to highlight my point. We frequently read or hear about a political figure being involved in some unethical or illegal behavior, and then the story falls off a cliff never to be heard of again. Why? I suggest it is due to the fact that our media outlets have cut-back on funding investigative journalism in an effort to save money. On the other hand, is it possible that our main-stream media is so enthralled with the political leadership that they are just giving them a pass or even covering up their misconduct? For example, it was long rumored that Gov. Mark Sanford (R) of South Carolina was having an affair. Not one news outlet took the time to investigate.
Where are the anticipated actions of either the House or Senate Ethics Committees on so many of the reported transgressions of political figures. I smell cover-up. Where are the expected actions by our Attorney General Eric Holder against government officials who are breaking the federal laws? Is it not against federal law for local governments to declare their City as a Sanctuary City where illegal aliens are protected? These cities include San Francisco, CA, Denver, CO, and El Paso, TX along with the entire States of Alaska, Oregon, and Maine. Didn’t Eric Holder take an Oath of Office to uphold the laws of our country? I suggest that it just might be political motivation, or am I over-reacting?
Your Commander thinks one of the most outrageous cases of political corruption, and in-action is the story behind the employment of Michelle Obama by the University of Chicago Medical Center back in 2002.
Surely you have heard, but let me quote from a recent email I received:
Subject: Replacing Michelle in Chicago
At the top right hand corner of page 17 of the New York Post of January 24th, 2009, was a short column entitled “Replacing Michelle” in the National Review “The Week” column. Here it is, word for word, as it appeared:
“Some employees are simply irreplaceable. Take Michelle Obama: The University of Chicago Medical center hired her in 2002 to run “programs for community relations, neighborhood outreach, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity and minority contracting.”
In 2005, the hospital raised her salary from $120,000 to $317,000 nearly twice what her husband made as a Senator.
Oh, did we mention that her husband had just become a U.S. Senator? He sure had. And that he immediately requested a $1 million earmark for the UC Medical Center, in fact?...You betcha by golly…He surely did. Way to network Michelle!
But now that Mrs. Obama has resigned, the hospital says her position will remain unfilled. How can that possibly be??? Especially if the work she did was vital enough to be worth $317,000?
Oh, by the way, let me add that Michelle’s position was a part time, 20 hour week job at $317,000 per year!! And to think they were critical of Blagojevich’s wife for taking $100,000 in fuzzy real estate commission.
Question is…How did this bit of quid pro quo corruption escape the sharp reporters that dug through Sarah Palin’s garbage & kindergarten files?
You get 3 guesses & the first 2 don’t count. Bingo!! – You’re right. Bring on 2010 & 2012 elections…
“IN GOD WE TRUST!!” – we better because you sure can’t trust your elected officials.
“I’ll keep my freedom, guns & money…You can keep the change!!”
Wow! Obviously that is a very partisan article, but the facts are true and clear. Why was this story not followed up by reporters, and why was there not a committee investigation held in Washington for the misuse of earmarks dollars? I suggest that our main-stream media is so complicit and misty-eyed with the Obama administration’s illegal and unethical shenanigans that they are failing miserably in the performance of their duties. Or, are they walking on eggshells because Obama is our first African-American President, afraid they will wear a racist label?
If the newspaper and television stations really want to solve their financial and audience problems, a good investigation reported story on the front page or prime-time newscast would serve them well. Just report the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Rooting out corruption and unethical conduct will improve our economy, and the image of our once great democracy. For our media to do less is to under-serve the hand that feeds them.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Let us look at a few examples to highlight my point. We frequently read or hear about a political figure being involved in some unethical or illegal behavior, and then the story falls off a cliff never to be heard of again. Why? I suggest it is due to the fact that our media outlets have cut-back on funding investigative journalism in an effort to save money. On the other hand, is it possible that our main-stream media is so enthralled with the political leadership that they are just giving them a pass or even covering up their misconduct? For example, it was long rumored that Gov. Mark Sanford (R) of South Carolina was having an affair. Not one news outlet took the time to investigate.
Where are the anticipated actions of either the House or Senate Ethics Committees on so many of the reported transgressions of political figures. I smell cover-up. Where are the expected actions by our Attorney General Eric Holder against government officials who are breaking the federal laws? Is it not against federal law for local governments to declare their City as a Sanctuary City where illegal aliens are protected? These cities include San Francisco, CA, Denver, CO, and El Paso, TX along with the entire States of Alaska, Oregon, and Maine. Didn’t Eric Holder take an Oath of Office to uphold the laws of our country? I suggest that it just might be political motivation, or am I over-reacting?
Your Commander thinks one of the most outrageous cases of political corruption, and in-action is the story behind the employment of Michelle Obama by the University of Chicago Medical Center back in 2002.
Surely you have heard, but let me quote from a recent email I received:
Subject: Replacing Michelle in Chicago
At the top right hand corner of page 17 of the New York Post of January 24th, 2009, was a short column entitled “Replacing Michelle” in the National Review “The Week” column. Here it is, word for word, as it appeared:
“Some employees are simply irreplaceable. Take Michelle Obama: The University of Chicago Medical center hired her in 2002 to run “programs for community relations, neighborhood outreach, volunteer recruitment, staff diversity and minority contracting.”
In 2005, the hospital raised her salary from $120,000 to $317,000 nearly twice what her husband made as a Senator.
Oh, did we mention that her husband had just become a U.S. Senator? He sure had. And that he immediately requested a $1 million earmark for the UC Medical Center, in fact?...You betcha by golly…He surely did. Way to network Michelle!
But now that Mrs. Obama has resigned, the hospital says her position will remain unfilled. How can that possibly be??? Especially if the work she did was vital enough to be worth $317,000?
Oh, by the way, let me add that Michelle’s position was a part time, 20 hour week job at $317,000 per year!! And to think they were critical of Blagojevich’s wife for taking $100,000 in fuzzy real estate commission.
Question is…How did this bit of quid pro quo corruption escape the sharp reporters that dug through Sarah Palin’s garbage & kindergarten files?
You get 3 guesses & the first 2 don’t count. Bingo!! – You’re right. Bring on 2010 & 2012 elections…
“IN GOD WE TRUST!!” – we better because you sure can’t trust your elected officials.
“I’ll keep my freedom, guns & money…You can keep the change!!”
Wow! Obviously that is a very partisan article, but the facts are true and clear. Why was this story not followed up by reporters, and why was there not a committee investigation held in Washington for the misuse of earmarks dollars? I suggest that our main-stream media is so complicit and misty-eyed with the Obama administration’s illegal and unethical shenanigans that they are failing miserably in the performance of their duties. Or, are they walking on eggshells because Obama is our first African-American President, afraid they will wear a racist label?
If the newspaper and television stations really want to solve their financial and audience problems, a good investigation reported story on the front page or prime-time newscast would serve them well. Just report the truth and let the chips fall where they may. Rooting out corruption and unethical conduct will improve our economy, and the image of our once great democracy. For our media to do less is to under-serve the hand that feeds them.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Saturday, August 1, 2009
HEALTH CARE REFORM - HERE WE GO AGAIN
As our Congressional delegations are rushing toward their long summer campaign fund-raising vacations, frantic action is taking place in the Halls of Congress to markup the Health Care legislation prior to the recess. While I personally detest this type of language I must be guttural when I say, somebody is going to get screwed and they won’t like it when they wake up in the morning.
Repeatedly I have ranted about our elected officials rushing to judgments without proper analysis and consideration of the ramifications of their actions. On several occasions I have harped about the failure of our Press to properly inform the electorate, and the polls are all telling us that voters are very concerned about this Health Care Plan. How can we, the voters, and the legislators reach objective decisions when we do not know the details of the programs being proposed?
Let me remind you that one of President Obama’s campaign promises involved time for the public to read proposed legislation on the internet and it would be posted for at least 5 DAYS before a vote took place in Congress. Hasn’t happened yet!
It is said that a little knowledge is dangerous. Well I believe that expression is very appropriate, because I suspect that special interest groups and a select group of influential legislators are pushing through legislation that will not be in the best interests of a significant portion of the electorate. There is a growing pungent smell to the actions going on in Washington, and it should scare the hell out of every single citizen in this country.
Remember we were promised that the Stimulus Bill would not have any Pork in it and look at what we got. The leadership did not even give the members of Congress time to read the legislation’s details and the same damn thing is apparently going to happen again.
It is now time to DEMAND transparency. Assuming we are fortunate enough to have the vote delayed until after the adjournment it is incumbent upon you and me to voice our opinions to our Congressmen and Senators. Hopefully, some honest journalist will provide us the details on the Bill so the uninformed hoard can speak to their representatives appropriately.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Repeatedly I have ranted about our elected officials rushing to judgments without proper analysis and consideration of the ramifications of their actions. On several occasions I have harped about the failure of our Press to properly inform the electorate, and the polls are all telling us that voters are very concerned about this Health Care Plan. How can we, the voters, and the legislators reach objective decisions when we do not know the details of the programs being proposed?
Let me remind you that one of President Obama’s campaign promises involved time for the public to read proposed legislation on the internet and it would be posted for at least 5 DAYS before a vote took place in Congress. Hasn’t happened yet!
It is said that a little knowledge is dangerous. Well I believe that expression is very appropriate, because I suspect that special interest groups and a select group of influential legislators are pushing through legislation that will not be in the best interests of a significant portion of the electorate. There is a growing pungent smell to the actions going on in Washington, and it should scare the hell out of every single citizen in this country.
Remember we were promised that the Stimulus Bill would not have any Pork in it and look at what we got. The leadership did not even give the members of Congress time to read the legislation’s details and the same damn thing is apparently going to happen again.
It is now time to DEMAND transparency. Assuming we are fortunate enough to have the vote delayed until after the adjournment it is incumbent upon you and me to voice our opinions to our Congressmen and Senators. Hopefully, some honest journalist will provide us the details on the Bill so the uninformed hoard can speak to their representatives appropriately.
COMMANDER GRANGER
CASH FOR CLUNKERS
Well here we go again with another government give away that is yet another political payoff to the automobile unions for its huge political financial support. Yes, the “Cash For Clunkers” (CFC) program appears to be a huge success (if you are an auto dealer or salesman, somewhat if you were in the car market) and a rare, successful government program, BUT….
Let me suggest that the quick action to extend the program that was taken by the House of Representatives was really a diversion to take the heat off their backs as they go home for the August recess. Just watch the Senate jump on the bandwagon before they adjourn, too. Both Houses of Congress are under the gun for their inept governance and voters are just waiting for them to come home so they can give them both guns. If they pass the likely extension of the Cash for Clunkers program they will point to their prompt and positive action to help their constituents. That is a classic example of TRANSFERENCE.
Have you considered that the “Cash For Clunkers” program was to run through NOVEMBER, 2009, or when the $1 billion allocated by Congress had been depleted? A four month program was spent in ONE WEEK? That alone should frighten every single American when it comes to Health Care Reform and the cost estimates being tossed about.
I just heard one of those know-it-all talking heads on a cable channel suggest that a renewal of CFC will open the door for every special interest and union official to flood Washington to get their members into the receiving line for a bail-out. I really wonder where this is going to end, because our nation is in major debt and there really is just so much foreign countries, like China, will loan us. Now one must have a very old car to be eligible for another entitlement program.
Let me suggest something else. After the August recess there is going to be some kind of watered down Health Care Bill passed. No doubt we are not going to like it, because we, the average citizens, do not have a lobbyist working for our special interests.
Will we end up with a committee of elite Czars deciding just what procedures will be performed as older taxpayers need medical care? I may end up just like an old car with a medical (repair) procedure not “worth” getting fixed because of the cost and sent to the junkyard, or would that be the graveyard? I see a direct similarity in the Cash for Clunkers program. If I get sick down the road they might decide I am too old and they will just crush me. Do you suppose they will send my widow a “cash for old guy” check, or will it be an estate tax bill?
Think about it. Do you wonder if President Obama will be thinking about you and me when he and his family along with First Puppy, Bo, are vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard in a home that rents for $35,000 per week? I suspect that Obama’s priorities are one hell of a lot different than yours and mine. The Shell Game continues, and no doubt they will get away with it again.
COMMANDER GRANGER
Let me suggest that the quick action to extend the program that was taken by the House of Representatives was really a diversion to take the heat off their backs as they go home for the August recess. Just watch the Senate jump on the bandwagon before they adjourn, too. Both Houses of Congress are under the gun for their inept governance and voters are just waiting for them to come home so they can give them both guns. If they pass the likely extension of the Cash for Clunkers program they will point to their prompt and positive action to help their constituents. That is a classic example of TRANSFERENCE.
Have you considered that the “Cash For Clunkers” program was to run through NOVEMBER, 2009, or when the $1 billion allocated by Congress had been depleted? A four month program was spent in ONE WEEK? That alone should frighten every single American when it comes to Health Care Reform and the cost estimates being tossed about.
I just heard one of those know-it-all talking heads on a cable channel suggest that a renewal of CFC will open the door for every special interest and union official to flood Washington to get their members into the receiving line for a bail-out. I really wonder where this is going to end, because our nation is in major debt and there really is just so much foreign countries, like China, will loan us. Now one must have a very old car to be eligible for another entitlement program.
Let me suggest something else. After the August recess there is going to be some kind of watered down Health Care Bill passed. No doubt we are not going to like it, because we, the average citizens, do not have a lobbyist working for our special interests.
Will we end up with a committee of elite Czars deciding just what procedures will be performed as older taxpayers need medical care? I may end up just like an old car with a medical (repair) procedure not “worth” getting fixed because of the cost and sent to the junkyard, or would that be the graveyard? I see a direct similarity in the Cash for Clunkers program. If I get sick down the road they might decide I am too old and they will just crush me. Do you suppose they will send my widow a “cash for old guy” check, or will it be an estate tax bill?
Think about it. Do you wonder if President Obama will be thinking about you and me when he and his family along with First Puppy, Bo, are vacationing on Martha’s Vineyard in a home that rents for $35,000 per week? I suspect that Obama’s priorities are one hell of a lot different than yours and mine. The Shell Game continues, and no doubt they will get away with it again.
COMMANDER GRANGER
THEY FLUNKED HISTORY 101
Our recent Presidents and elected officials all must have failed to pass their History 101 class, because they certainly have not learned from the mistakes of the past. Just consider for a minute these wise words that were spoken 2,064 years ago.
“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
Cicero – 55 BC
I suspect that our all-knowing egotistical intellectual leadership if questioned about Cicero’s words would tell us that times have changed, and that they know best how to move our society forward, so we should just trust them. Tragically, we have trusted them for far too long, and that is why we are in the difficult times that confront us today and which lie ahead. Logic and common sense trumps bull excrement every time.
COMMANDER GRANGER
“The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance.”
Cicero – 55 BC
I suspect that our all-knowing egotistical intellectual leadership if questioned about Cicero’s words would tell us that times have changed, and that they know best how to move our society forward, so we should just trust them. Tragically, we have trusted them for far too long, and that is why we are in the difficult times that confront us today and which lie ahead. Logic and common sense trumps bull excrement every time.
COMMANDER GRANGER
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